


Patching Things Up

by Shadow1001



Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-10
Updated: 2019-02-13
Packaged: 2019-10-25 12:15:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 20,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17725019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadow1001/pseuds/Shadow1001
Summary: Akira was used to surprises by now. Not much could faze him, but the vaguely familiar pale complexion and short, dark hair to compliment it had him startled. He stared into dark chocolate eyes as he whispered “...Shiho?”|| Akira gets a reunion with a familiar face, or is it more of a meeting? AkiraxShiho, post-Persona 5, minimal spoilers. ||





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't really know what to say. Story's complete from the get-go so no waiting around for updates. That means less reviews but eh, this was self-indulgent to the extreme. Also chapters are pretty short. 1k words basically.
> 
> What spurred this on:
> 
> I was sick for a while back in January and wrote a lot of notes for how I wanted a ShihoxJoker story to go because I was bored. Being sick is boring.
> 
> Oh, and yeah, Akira's the name. It's the name I used in my playthroughs so it's just weird for me personally to use anything else. I have nothing against Ren Amamiya. I actually like it.
> 
> I know this ship isn't a popular ship, for understandable reasons, but like I said: self-indulgent. And this is the site of self-indulgent.
> 
> Since I'm doing this post-Persona 5, this means Shiho's actually got a lot of her stuff figured out. Ann helped her through a lot of it during her social link so I'm just making some pieces for Joker to pick up.
> 
> Also, holy I am rusty at third-person writing. That or I was always this bad. Like, wow. It took way too long for me to write coherent sentences.
> 
> On another note, first fic to be posted on archiveofourown! Finally got an account here. I'm on FF with the same username.
> 
> Anyway, hope you somewhat enjoy the story?

Akira could say he's seen it all, from corrupt artists to corrupt politicians and even the yakuza. There wasn't much that could faze him, but his friends always manage to find a way, directly or indirectly.

"Don't give me that look." His mother returned his offended look with a blank expression, Morgana growled. "That's the school's rules."

"It was a rule at Shūjin too, but we managed, didn't we Akira?" Akira glanced down at the cat by his feet. Morgana was pawing his leg.

"He kept me calm."

His mother frowned. That was an easy excuse for anyone who didn't know him, but this was his mother. "You've been calm your entire life." She sighed. "You take care of a cat for a year and suddenly you need him everywhere you go?" Morgana began rubbing his head against her leg, and Akira could see her bite the inside of her lip. He resisted smirking. "You know you won't be able to hide him in your desk."

Akira's twisting lips returned neutral. "Why not?"

"Look, Shūjin was a big school, this one isn't." She didn't elaborate further, Akira already knew. Anything, big or small, was enough to get the entire school talking. And he'd get caught instantly with how nosey the kids were. He sighed, looking down at Morgana with an apologetic expression.

"She's right, Morgana."

"You're just going to give up?! Have you learned nothing from the past year?!"

Akira shrugged and hefted his bag over his shoulder. Both his mother and Morgana were staring at him strangely. "Uh, are you guys okay?"

"Yes, it's just, now that I get a good look at you, it's been a long time since I've seen you in that uniform."

"It's weird not seeing Shūjin's uniform anymore. It's strange, but I'm going to miss it."

"We'll visit, Morgana, don't worry. You'll get to admire Ryuji again."

"Why Ryuji?!"

He hid a chuckle as he turned around, ready to leave. He stopped in front of the door, craning his neck slightly. "Well? Are you coming?"

Morgana cheered happily before leaping onto his shoulder faster than anyone could blink. Skilled unlike any other cat, Morgana opened his bag and slid himself right in.

"I thought…" His mother was staring at him dumbfoundedly, he didn't need to turn around to know that.

"Everyone's already going to be talking about me."

"They might take Morgana away from you."

Akira adjusted his glasses with a finger and opened the door. "They can try."

The door slammed shut and Akira was greeted by the spring breeze. "Well, lead the way, Akira."

Akira nodded and unlike a year prior, walked proudly with his back straight. The criminal record he once had weighed heavily upon his shoulders, but as time went on throughout the previous year, it became a numb feeling.

Now that he was cleared, everything felt clearer, brighter. The weather was actually with him for once.

* * *

"Kurusu, Kurusu, Kurusu." Akira stood patiently as his new homeroom teacher muttered his name. When he met him yesterday, the man was very cautious, making sure not to say anything insulting or polite. Now, he could hear the exasperation in his voice. "Why couldn't you stay in the city…?"

Oh, he wished. He wanted to go back there and run with Ryuji, eat crepes with Ann, people watch with Yusuke, study with Makoto, game with Futaba, garden with Haru. He wanted to go back. But this was the terms of his probation, and he couldn't deny seeing his family again was necessary for his peace of mind.

"Things are going to get a lot more hectic around here. Your criminal record may have been revoked, sure. It's easy to erase writing on paper, but not our minds. No one's forgotten."

Akira wanted to say how neither of his statements were true; it required immense effort and dedication from all his friends to overturn his verdict, and it didn't take long for everyone to forget the Phantom Thieves.

"A new transfer student _and_ a returning one." The man grumbled some more and Akira should feel Morgana shuffle in his bag.

"A new transfer student?" Akira had to ask, curiosity peaking his interest. That would be one person who wouldn't know about his history.

"Yeah. From the city. Actually…" His eyes narrowed before rolling his chair over to a file cabinet. "Last year, in the middle of the season she transferred. Well I'll be damned. Coincidence?" The teacher had pulled out a file and scanned the first page. Quickly, he shoved it back into the cabinet.

"Who's the transfer student?"

"Hey now, don't even think about bothering her." The defensive tone he took made Akira wonder why he couldn't share that attitude with him. "Anyway, let's get going. You know the drill."

He did, and he expected it to be considerably more awkward this time around. More awkward than his first day at Shūjin, which would be impressive in all honesty.

He felt his bag shake slightly. "I can't tell if he hates you or is just indifferent."

Akira stared at the back of his homeroom teacher's head. He vaguely remembered him. He wasn't hostile or anything, but he didn't like him. He also wouldn't do anything to make his life harder, which was just fine by Akira.

* * *

"All right, settle down. New term, hurry up and sit. We've got a, uh, transfer student." That was his cue. Akira strolled up in front of the class, stopping next to his teacher. "This is Akira Kurusu. He's returning back here for his final year. Say something."

What was he supposed to say? It's good to be back? "I hope we get along."

Immediately, the whispers chorused the question on everyone's mind. _"I thought he was expelled for an act of violence!?" "Shouldn't he be in juvie?"_

"Now, now!" The class were visibly startled from the sudden loud noise that was their teacher smacking his desk. Akira merely glanced at him curiously. "Kurusu's record got lifted, he's clean. A misunderstanding. Clear? Good. Take a seat, Kurusu."

Akira smiled wryly. He definitely remembered this teacher's demeanor. But from experience, not even veteran teachers can calm the student masses.

By extreme coincidences, he found himself sitting in a seat near the back of the class next to the window. The rays of light hit the desk, exposing any dust that had accumulated.

He wasn't bothered too much by the rumours. He was used to them, and these weren't nearly as bad as Shūjin.

When lunch time came around, Akira stood up tall, stretching his body and ignoring all the discrete stares. He was just about ready to leave before someone approached him.

Akira was used to surprises by now. Not much could faze him, but the vaguely familiar pale complexion and short, dark hair to compliment it had him startled. He stared into dark chocolate eyes as he let out a whisper. "...Shiho?"

"What?!" Morgana shouted from his bag, making him wince while Shiho's small smile disappeared and her eyes widened. Akira didn't need four eyes to tell him the entire class's eyes were on him. He pushed his glasses up.

"…Meow?"

* * *

Akira ran a hand through his dark tufts of hair, sighing deeply. Morgana had run off when one of the staff members attempted to grab him by the neck. His explanation went well enough, saying it was animal therapy.

That didn't stop them from prohibiting cats from school.

He took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh spring breeze of the countryside. Back in Tokyo he had to travel quite the distance to get this kind of fresh air. Having it back at his doorstep was nice.

"Um, excuse me." Appearing in front of him was the girl from before. "Um…"

She was finding it difficult to start up a conversation, which was expected after what happened at lunch. Now that it was after school, and they were alone on the school roof, they could get their reunion. If they knew each other to call it one.

"What a coincidence seeing you here, Shiho."

"That's putting it mildly." Akira smiled at her blunt demeanor. The Shiho he only heard about and never met, he could see it escaping. "Um, I'm really glad you were found innocent."

"Thanks to you," Akira bowed. To this day he felt immense gratitude for everyone who helped him clear his name.

"After everything you did for Ann, it was the least I could do." Akira rose back up, still smiling.

"What did Ann say about me?"

Shiho placed a finger on her chin and looked upwards to the sky. "Um, that you're an amazing, selfless, lovable goof. I think."

"That checks out." Akira nodded his head in confirmation while Shiho huffed in amusement. Almost instantly, her brows furrowed and her smile became a thin line.

"Um, I was wondering…" Shiho paused, biting her lip and Akira gestured for her to continue. She still took a second. "Why aren't you innocent here?"

Akira blinked. "I am."

"Then why doesn't the school think so?"

Akira shrugged, looking back at the door they came from. "It's not so different from Shūjin in that regard. It's not easy to convince them otherwise."

"…Oh." Her disheartened look made Akira feel awful, and he didn't even do anything.

"Cheer up, it's not that bad. It'll go away." This wasn't the first time others cared about his standing, but he's never seen someone react with such sadness.

"You're right. Things will get better, won't they? You and Ann are proof of that…" Shiho closed her eyes, smiling to herself. "Thank you, Akira-kun."

"You're welcome."

Shiho laughed. "Do you even know why I'm thanking you?"

"Not really, no."

"But you have a hunch." Shiho was looking at him like she knew him all his life.

Akira raised a brow. "Just what else has Ann told you about me?"

"Nothing." Instantaneous, as if she was purposely hiding information. Before he could say anything, Shiho continued. "Anyway, that's a discussion for another time. So, Ann mentioned that you were going back to your hometown? So, this is it."

"Yeah." The two walked to the edge of the roof, where the expanse of the small city laid. "My memories here aren't anything to write home about. If anything, I think my life began in Tokyo."

"I can understand that." Shiho hummed, and Akira realizes that it had been so long since he last saw her. If he recalled, her short hair was longer and tied in a ponytail last he saw her. "I hope things become better for you."

"I think it already has."

Shiho turned to him in surprise, and Akira could tell he caught her off guard. Taking pride in that fact, he smirked as Shiho shook her head. "I'm glad. This might be more of a two-way street than you think."

Akira caught the voice crack, and couldn't stop himself from asking. "Your friends…"

She looked away, her eyes giving a distant look. "None. Sometimes I just zone out which doesn't really help my social standing. Everyone just…gave up on me."

"Except Ann."

"Except Ann." Shiho smiled.

"You haven't zoned out on me."

Shiho looked at Akira, the same smile still on her face. "Well, I think it has something to do with your 'natural talent', as Ann put it. Well, and you're the first familiar, kind face for me. If Ann trusts you, then I do too."

"I'll be here if you need an ear."

"Not much else to do in this country town."

They laughed.

* * *

"So, what are the odds of seeing Shiho here of all places?"

"Way too small." Akira responded, dropping his bag onto the floor as he sat on the bed. "Where'd you go after you ran off?"

"Just decided to scout the area, you know how it is."

"You already did that when we got here," Akira pointed out.

"Well, now that the break's over, it's good to see where people normally go on school days. In case there's anywhere to look out for."

"Trust me, not much happens in this town."

"You got falsely convicted."

"Touché."

Akira pulled out his phone, debating whether he should message Ann about his fateful encounter before deciding against it. Instead, he sent a picture to Yusuke of the late afternoon view from atop his school's roof. Maybe he'd find inspiration from the boonies.

"Everyone in town's talking about you."

"Oh really?" Akira's eyes were on his phone, his ears on Morgana.

"I didn't know you were famous."

"In this small town, bringing a cat to school will get you on the local newspaper." Akira responded to Yusuke's gratitude-filled reply.

"Speaking of which, I don't think I'll be coming back with you."

Akira looked up from his phone and at Morgana who was standing on his desk. "Why not?"

Morgana stretched his cat body. "You don't need me, and I'll just cause even more trouble for you if we're caught again."

"We were caught off guard."

"What's the big deal? Need me to help you cheat some more?"

"Would be nice." Akira smirked before letting it fall. "What do you plan on doing in the meantime?"

"Did you forget? I need to turn into a human. So, I'll be searching for clues."

"The chances of this town holding the key to your transformation isn't exactly high."

"Well, the chances of Shiho transferring to your old school weren't exactly high either. That pretty much confirmed that sticking with you will get me my answers!"

"If you say so." An idea popped into Akira's head. "We can visit some bookstores and see if there's any psychology books on the collective unconscious and cognition. Also ask Futaba on her progress with recovering her mother's research."

"Really?! Thanks Akira! I'm counting on you!"

* * *

_Extra: Listen_

"So, this is your cat." Shiho crouched down to meet the cat at eye level. "He's so cute."

"Name's Morgana."

"Oh, I didn't know she was-"

"He's male."

"…Oh."

"Yeah, he's weird."

Shiho laughed as the cat turned to Akira and hissed. Akira only responded by pushing his glasses up, his smirk as clear as day. Morgana turned back to her, allowing her to pet him. "How did you manage to get a cat while on probation?"

"My guardian loved him more than me." Shiho looked up at Akira, laughing.

"At least he likes cats. There are some people who treat their pets awfully."

"…Tell me about it." Shiho wasn't sure why, but Akira's expression twisted into a scowl briefly and she could feel Morgana tense under her hand. Before she could say anything, the two relaxed. "Have you ever had any pets?"

"No, I've always wanted one though. But our place was too small."

Morgana meowed and Shiho could almost sense a sarcastic tone from him.

"Smaller than an attic?"

"I…suppose not." Akira chuckled and Shiho smiled, continuing to pet Morgana. "He seems really intelligent."

"He is. He can even pick open doors."

"Really?" Shiho's eyes widened as she stared at Akira with curiosity. When Akira nodded, she shook her head. "That's impossible."

The cat meowed, as if refuting her claim. Shiho decided to stop looking into Morgana's actions as if they were of a human.

"If you ever want to see him, just let me know. Sometimes, having someone to listen is more than enough."

Shiho looked down at Morgana, then at Akira, then back down at Morgana. His bright blue eyes were as wide as ever. "I know."


	2. Chapter 2

Akira closed his shoe locker, ready to leave school when he saw Shiho at her own shoe locker. He walked over to her, lightly tapping her on the shoulder. He nearly jumped when she did. She immediately relaxed when she realized it was him.

"Oh, hello Akira-kun. Um, do you need something." Akira shook his head. "Oh, well, if you're not busy, do you… mind keeping me company? I was going to walk around the shopping district for a bit."

He accepted, and together the two made way for the shopping district. Akira couldn't help but watch her walk on the way. Bold steps, as if she was making sure her feet hit the ground. It made him wonder, however brief, if he and Ryuji didn't hesitate, could things have been different?

Quickly he replaced those thoughts with rationality. There was no way they would have gotten through that Palace in one trip without Ann.

"I talked to Ann." Shiho started, snapping Akira out of his thoughts. "She was so surprised we were going to the same school. So, I wanted to thank you!"

He rose his head slightly. "What for?"

Shiho's smile was brilliant. This was what Ann had. What Ann lost. "For not telling her so I can see her beautiful reaction!" Akira chuckled. For everything different between the two girls, there definitely were some similarities. "Has Ann ever told you how we met?"

He didn't even need to think. "Her painting sucked."

She laughed, though when she was about to touch his arm, she hesitated and pulled back. "It did," she stressed. "If you had seen it, you'd understand. I felt bad for the painting."

"Just the painting?"

Shiho stopped walking, turning and facing him. "I can't imagine what it must be like to have people constantly talking behind your back, saying things completely untrue. Just because of your looks. I was lucky, I guess. I was never the looker so I was able to avoid the attention. Though I was still alone in the end."

Akira shook his head. "I disagree. You're beautiful, Shiho."

To his surprise, Shiho didn't blush or get embarrassed. Instead, her eyes widened in shock before softening. "It's weird being told that from someone who's not Ann and actually means it. It feels nice."

"I'll call you beautiful as much as you want."

Shiho snorted. "Where do you get that kind of attitude? Speaking of which, do you call everyone by their given name, no honorifics?"

Akira blinked, realizing his mistake. He definitely wasn't expected to be called out. "Oh, uh, I guess since Ann has talked about you so much, it just felt natural."

"So I'm a unique case?"

He shrugged. "Pretty much. If you want, I can stop."

"No, it's fine. I was just curious."

"Hey, you're Suzui-san, right?" The voice came from behind the two. Shiho hesitantly turned around and Akira followed. "Am I, uh, interrupting?"

Shiho shook her head, her short hair barely following her movements. "Um, what do you need, uh…"

"Oh, well, I was wondering what… actually can we…" The boy's gaze kept shifting from Shiho to Akira. It didn't take much for Akira to figure out this boy's goal. And he had a feeling he wasn't helping by standing there with a blank expression. "Uh what do you like to do on your free time?"

Regardless of his intention, the fact he still managed to ask that with him standing right there was fascinating. Especially since it was crystal clear Shiho didn't recognize him at all.

"I'm sorry, I'm not interested."

"What-!?" The boy looked like he was slapped across the face. Akira was impressed if he was being honest. Stumbling, the boy took his leave without a word.

"…Was that too cold?"

"Freezing."

"Oh. I should apologize."

Akira shrugged. "He had it coming."

"I'm sure he didn't mean any harm. He deserved kinder words. Everyone does. He only asked a question. But… that's how they all start. If I learned anything from Ann, it's how to reject."

Rather than let the obvious silence consume them, Akira instead laughed. "That she does."

"You wouldn't happen to be talking from experience, would you?" Akira laughed even harder, shaking his head. "Okay, good, because I was going to ask Ann how she let someone like you go."

"That's quite the compliment."

"With all the praise she sings of you? That was nothing." Shiho shook her head, amused. "Anyway, I hope he doesn't hold it against me."

"You might be the talk of the school."

Shiho groaned. "I'm going home. Thank you for today, Akira."

* * *

_Extra: Experience_

"…Fishing?"

"Don't knock it until you tried it," Akira said, handing her a fishing pole with a grin. "It's a great way to unwind and relax."

She hesitantly accepts the pole, raising it to eye level. "Where did you even get these?"

"Back in the city." Shiho hummed, looking over the pole, running her finger across each line. She jumped when Akira cleared his throat. "Are you going to fish? If you don't want to that's fine."

Shiho shook her head, almost missing her ponytail go _swoosh._ "I'd love to try. You might have to help me if I get a big one."

"In this town? I doubt it. But of course."

It took some time for her to get used to relying on her upper body after working on her lower body for so long, but she was able to catch smaller fish easily.

After a while, she put her rod down and sat down on the rocks. She wiped her forehead before hugging her knees. "Fishing's a lot tougher than I expected."

Akira didn't respond, and she could see why. There were large splashes in the distance and Akira's bobber was close to them.

"Almost…" She whispered, her hands clenching in anticipation.

Before the fish turned around and the splashes left in another direction.

Akira let out a disappointed sigh before reeling in his line. "That's was a good attempt." Shiho offered a sympathetic smile, having lost plenty of fish like that in the last hour.

"Yeah, but even so, it looks like I won this round."

"…Excuse me?"

Akira pointed to his bucket, half of it filled with decent-sized fish.

Shiho glared, standing up and pointing to her own bucket, nearly filled with much smaller fish. "I caught more."

"Size is what matters in fishing."

"We were competing to see who caught the most fish, not the best fish."

Akira laughed, and Shiho followed suit. It was quickly interrupted when they heard a splash behind them.

"Huh, it's back," Akira mumbled.

"Oh, it's near my bait!" Shiho quickly picked up her rod and assumed a wide stance. She was almost pulled into the lake by a mere goldfish earlier, how much stronger was this one going to be?

"But…how? Did you take some of my top-class bait?"

"I don't know, I ran out so I just took one of yours." When the fish drew near, Shiho's hands tightened around the rod. It was like preparing for a jump scare.

But nothing would prepare her for the sudden tug that had her stumbling forward. She definitely would have fallen in if it weren't for the sudden strong arms wrapped around her waist.

"Pull!" Akira's voice echoed in her ears, allowing her to forget the sudden discomfort she felt and immediately yanked the rod back before being pulled forward.

"Can fish be this strong…?"

"Don't lose focus!"

She yanked again, but didn't seem to be making much progress. "Come! On!" With a sudden shout, she yanked as hard as she could.

The end result was her and Akira toppling to the ground. "Ow…"

"Did we get it?" Akira asked, slightly in a daze.

Shiho didn't know, and would have stood up to check if all her energy wasn't suddenly spent. Right now, she just wanted to lay on Akira's chest for the rest of the day.

"Uh!" She sprung up, breaking free of the arms still around her waist. "Are you all right?" She extended her hand to help him up.

"Yeah…" It seemed like he was still in a daze. Shiho couldn't help but chuckle, poking his nose before turning around.

Her face fell immediately at the sight. "The line snapped…"

She shuddered when a hand touched her shoulder. "It happens." Akira then went on to gather the various tools they used and Shiho took the time to pack up the food they ate during a small break.

"Do you have any idea of what kind of fish that was? Do you think it would have been worth a lot?"

"Probably."

Shiho sighed. "That's…unfortunate."


	3. Chapter 3

Akira stepped outside the bookstore, a large book in his hand. The things he does for his cat…

"Oh, Akira!" Akira looked up and saw Shiho approach him. They moved to the side, away from the entrance. "Are you busy?"

He shoved the book into his bag. He was certain his shoulders were going to drop. "Not at the moment."

"Do you mind accompanying me to the supermarket?"

* * *

The door slid open when they approached it, the two teens holding several plastic bags. "Thank you for helping me. I wasn't sure how I was going to carry all this by myself."

"I'm surprised your family would make you get groceries."

Shiho shook her head. "No, I wanted to. I needed to. I don't want to be useless anymore. And I told my mom I had a reliable friend, to ease her worries."

"You're not useless."

"You sound so sure… Anyway, thank you again."

He nodded and looked down at the bags again. "This is a lot of groceries for a small family."

"Well... actually never mind. Come on, I'll show you where I live."

Compared to the big city, a small town was far easier to traverse. Walking didn't take long and buses were nowhere near as packed as the trains. Except waiting for a bus took much longer. Either way, they arrived at Shiho's house relatively quickly.

"Thank you again."

"That's the third time you've thanked me."

Shiho smiled and began unloading the groceries. Akira also helped, though he couldn't help but feel a little out of place. Messing with someone else's kitchen didn't seem right, but after raiding Sojiro's fridge for a year, it wasn't too bad.

"The cake mixes and other ingredients go in the pantry. Top shelf please."

He nodded, although she didn't see as she was busy unloading other groceries. Akira opened the pantry door and began scanning it. The entire pantry was fill, except the top shelf. But there was a good reason for why. "Will you be able to reach it?"

"Oh, that's a good point." Shiho had appeared over his shoulder. "Um, I should have thought about this beforehand. Hm."

Akira looked up and down the pantry some more. "Is that curry powder?"

"Oh, we don't make curry that often. You can put that on the top shelf. What else…?" While Shiho was analyzing the pantry, Akira grabbed the bottle of curry powder, giving it a nostalgic look before placing it on the top shelf.

Together, they managed to make space on the lower shelves to place the groceries.

When they finished, Shiho dusted her hands. "Thank you for helping, Akira."

Akira held up four fingers. "Four times now."

"Actually, now that I think about it, Ann said you were quite the gourmet."

Akira rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, wondering what exactly did Ann tell her. "Not really. I'd eat anything because my diet for the year was basically just coffee and curry."

"Coffee and curry…? That… doesn't sound healthy."

"Anything I can grab was a blessing, really." Not to say he didn't like Sojiro's meals, but he would always relish the trips to the diner or even Big Bang Burger.

"Hm. Did Ann tell you I can cook?"

His eyes widened with interest. "Really?"

Quickly, Shiho shrunk slightly. "Well, not cook, but I can bake. I didn't do it often, but Ann always liked whatever I made. When my mom says they're good, it's hard to tell if she's just being nice or not. But Ann's too honest. She can't lie to save herself. That's how I know that baking is something I'm good at."

Akira glanced back to the pantry. "I assume you plan on baking soon.

She nodded. "I want to get back into it. I haven't baked anything since my first year of high school. I'm not in any clubs either so I have the time."

"If you ever need a taste-teste, you know my number."

"I don't know if I need a taste-tester, but it wouldn't hurt to bake an extra batch for you."

Akira grinned, licking his lips. "I look forward to it."

* * *

_Extra: Strength_

Silence was comforting to Shiho. After dealing with noise, detailing disgusting lies about her friend, it was nice to have some peace and quiet. Only the sound of scribbling pencils on paper echoed in the room.

She looked up to see her study partner writing notes down furiously on his own notebook. He was going fast through the textbook, surprising her with how studious he was. "I was wondering how Ann and Ryuji managed to pass their classes."

Akira stopped writing and looked at her with a grin. "Well, we also had the student council president to help. She taught me some useful studying tricks, and I her. By the end, we managed to top our respective years."

"Wow…"

"You're not bad yourself though."

"I'm average. Although the only subject I'd consider myself bad at would be English." Akira hummed, and she could already tell what he was thinking. "Funny, huh? How Ann's the opposite. Bad at everything but English."

"You two fit together really well."

"That we do. I think the only reason she passed her courses in first year was because of me." The two laughed when a thought occurred. "Although, Niijima-senpai graduated, right?"

Akira nodded. "And Haru as well, another third year who helped us study."

"And we're all the way over here…"

"Yep. They're screwed."

She sighed, reaching over for her phone. "It's a miracle Ann hasn't texted me yet."

"Huh, you're right."

Both of their phones go off simultaneously. Shiho shares an amused glance at Akira before looking down at her phone.

**Ann: HELP**

**Ann: I don't know what any of this stuff means**

**Ann: Akira's not here. Makoto's not here. Haru's not here. You're not here.**

**Ann: THE ONLY ONE HERE IS RYUJI IM SO SCREWED**

**Shiho: Sorry, I'm studying right now.**

**Ann: :(((**

Shiho put down her phone, watching Akira do the same. He smiled, amusement written all over his face. "I guess we're going to have an online group study session soon."

"Hopefully they don't get distracted…"

"It's Ann and Ryuji. That's what they do."


	4. Chapter 4

_"Hey, you know that transfer student? The one that transferred in the middle of the school year last year?"_

_"Uh, she's a third year now, right?"_

_"Yeah. Her. You know how she was walking weird when she transferred?"_

_"Not really but go on."_

_"I heard it's because she jumped off a roof."_

_"Are you serious!?"_

_"Yeah!"_

Akira stopped in place, glaring daggers into the back of the two student's heads. Quickly, he pulled out his phone.

**Akira: Shiho**

**Akira: Where are you?**

Three dots lined up at the bottom of the screen.

**Shiho: In the classroom.**

That was all he needed to know and his pace quickened.

He slid the door open, looking around the classroom. Students were chatting away and occasionally glancing towards Shiho, who was sitting in her seat. She sat a few rows behind him, also by the window.

She was staring down at her phone which wasn't even turned on. "Hey, Shi-"

"Hey, um, do you mind if we talk after school? At a nearby park?"

Her voice was tired and he could tell when someone was hungry. It was still better than what he expected. Akira swallowed and nodded. "I know just the place."

When it was after school, Akira returned to his desk with some bread, he noticed a familiar tail dangling. Quickly, he handed a piece to Shiho before sitting at his desk. He clasped his hands together and leaned forward. "How'd you get in here?" He whispered, making absolutely sure no one was watching.

Morgana retracted his tail and his bright blue eyes opened in the darkness of his desk. "I'm a phantom thief, remember?"

"Ex-phantom thief. Never mind, what are you doing here?"

"I heard some rumours…"

"Can you find out who's behind them?"

"Don't underestimate me!"

Like lightning, Morgana dashed out of his desk and out of the room. Akira resisted the urge to facepalm. If Morgana managed to avoid being detected, it would be a miracle.

"Was that your…?"

"Don't worry about it." He slouched in his chair before looking up at Shiho. He smiled at her lower lip where a bread crumb remained. "You got something…" He gestured to his lower lip and Shiho quickly wiped her mouth on her sleeve, not at all embarrassed.

"Um, thank you for the bread. I was running late so I had to skip breakfast… and by extension lunch. Today's just not my day."

Shiho was looking worse compared to earlier. It's been a few months, but he could tell she was enjoying her time here in the countryside with him, away from the busy people. These rumours might have ruined everything.

He stood up. "Come on."

* * *

"This is nice…" Shiho walked underneath a tree, the shade enveloping her body. "Being in the countryside made me appreciate nature far more than back in Tokyo."

Akira stood to the side in the sun, watching Shiho as she looked up at the tree above her. He put in his own two cents. "Some of my favourite days back in Tokyo were going to Inokashira Park."

"Nature really is a nice escape from people." Shiho paused, and Akira watched as she decided to sit down against the tree. Akira kept standing. "Did Ann tell you why I moved?"

"Yeah."

"Will I have to move again…?"

"That depends, how do you feel?" When Shiho didn't answer, Akira continued. "Right now, it's just a small, vague rumour."

"But it will become more specific. Soon everyone will know me as the girl who tried to kill herself. The girl who was…" Shiho's eyes narrowed. It didn't appear as if she was going to cry, but she was definitely exhausted. "I wish people didn't care so much. The fact that I don't have any friends here isn't going to help. If my mom finds out about this, I'll probably have to move again."

"Do you want to move?"

"…No, not again. I'm tired. And…" Shiho looked up at him and the way her eyes shined made him wonder what exactly she was seeing. "I think I get it. What Ann meant. Maybe… you're what I need to truly move forward."

"Huh?"

"I thought I put everything behind me the day I returned to the roof. But I still have some lingering regrets. Akira…this might be incredibly selfish, but will you help me?"

"Of course." Akira didn't need to think twice. She wouldn't have even needed to ask.

Shiho moved to the side and patted the grass next to her. As Akira sat down, Shiho tugged at his uniform's sleeve and didn't let go.

Akira could feel her hand trembling the entire time.


	5. Chapter 5

The group chat was lively as ever, and Akira always got a kick from it. Even the busy Makoto and Haru would pop in every now and then. It was times like these that he wished Morgana had a phone so he could join in.

Akira was about to put his phone away before a separate message appeared. "Oh, it's Shiho."

Morgana, who was on his chair watching his messages from above, leaped off his chair and landed on the ground, not even making a sound. "I'm still looking into who found out about her."

Akira looked at the cat on his bed. "I think I might have to step in."

"Nah, just leave it to me. I think I have a lead."

"Oh?"

"I'll tell you more later, don't you have a text to respond to?"

He was right. Akira returned his attention to his phone.

**Shiho: Akira, are you awake?**

**Akira: Yeah.**

**Shiho: Can you meet me on the school roof after school tomorrow?**

**Akira: Sure.**

**Shiho: Thank you!**

The conversation ended and Akira was left puzzled. The school roof? Why? "Morgana." Morgana's ears perked up. "I'm counting on you to get to the bottom of this."

"Heh. Who do you think I am? I told you, I have a lead." Akira nodded, and began preparing for tomorrow.

* * *

 

He was the first one on the roof. If he closed his eyes, he could picture himself and Haru on Shūjin's roof, taking care of the plants. But this roof was empty, nothing around but a small bench.

"I'm sorry for making you wait." He turned around to see Shiho jog towards him. "They should be here soon."

"Who?"

Again, the door opened behind them. Two male students, taller than Shiho but no taller than Akira, walked towards them. "Kurusu's here? I guess that makes sense, all things considered." Akira looked between Shiho and the two male students, quickly piecing two and two together.

"Why did you do this?" Akira was the one who started the conversation. He took a step forward, and the students took a step back.

"We just…I mean, the Phantom Thieves."

Not expecting that, simultaneously Akira and Shiho's head tilted to the side in confusion. "Huh?"

"Last year, they were so big. So of course we wanted to get in on the craze."

The other student spoke up. "We managed to get connections to Shūjin through that online forum and we managed to piece two and two together."

"Apparently a girl tried to kill herself right before the Phantom Thieves' debuted."

"That kind of stuff they didn't share on the news, and then we had Suzui-san transfer that same year with a limp. Someone must have overheard us talking and…"

"We're sorry Suzui-san!" The two bowed deeply, making Akira take a step back. He turned to Shiho to see how she was faring.

Shiho was stunned and was looking back at him for advice on how to proceed. Akira looked back at the students, then back at Shiho and nodded. This was Shiho's decision.

"Um, it's all right. You didn't know."

"We feel really bad!"

Akira wasn't surprised at how someone might have overheard them, with how loud they were.

"I'm glad you admitted it, at least…" Akira could see the confusion on her face. She was probably expecting a more antagonistic person responsible. And so was he if he was being honest.

After they left, Shiho took a seat on the bench, releasing a heavy sigh. She looked up at Akira and smiled wryly. "That went a lot better than I expected."

Akira sat down next to her. "How'd you figure out it was them?"

"They've been giving me weird looks, different from the rest of the class. They reminded me of Mishima-kun." Shiho looked down at her feet. "I asked you to come… just in case things turned south."

"I'm glad you did."

Shiho flashed a smile. "Me too…You know what Ann told me soon after… the incident? That she wanted to be like you and Ryuji. Mostly you. Where she can take in rumours and insults in stride, not caring what anyone else thinks."

Akira remembered Ann saying something similar to him. "I remember that."

Shiho nodded. "We're very similar, you and me, don't you think? Our past is back to haunt us here after we moved on. I wish to take it in stride as well."

"I think you're doing a good job."

"I'm kind of surprised how much this isn't bothering me. Maybe it's because of you being here. I don't know what I'd do without you, honestly."

"You have Ann."

"I miss her… but talking on the phone isn't enough. I need someone here with me, physically." She tugged his sleeve. "I'm actually trying to get used to physical interactions again. With males specifically. A pat on the back, high fives, hugs, all of it's hard to do without thinking about… That's part of my whole 'moving on' spiel."

"I think you're making good progress."

"I'd like to think so. Ann keeps telling me how strong I am…but without her, I'm nothing. I can barely touch you without thinking of him. Ann had it just as bad but she managed to face it all."

"It's all because of you. You know that."

"…Yeah. It's weird to think that I encourage her, when she's always been the one to encourage me. Knowing her, she probably kept telling you how amazing I am, right?"

"She wasn't wrong."

And for the first time, Akira was able to witness Shiho blush.

"I'll be relying on you then."

"That's fine by me." The two sat in silence for a while longer.

"Do you mind if… I… give you a hug?" As soon as she said it, her head dipped. "Geez, I'm pathetic."

"Not at all." Akira spread his arms slightly, letting Shiho be the one to take the step if she was ready. "Think of me as Buchimaru-kun or something."

Shiho giggled. "That's a name I haven't heard in ages."

She moved quickly, as if to just get it over with. But once her arms were wrapped around his torso, she didn't seem to move. "You smell like coffee…"

"It's my known trait."

"To smell like coffee?" She kept her head against his chest as she giggled. "Um, you can…can you…"

Akira didn't need her to say more. He wrapped his own arms around her, giving her a gentle squeeze. He could feel her stiffen before relaxing, before stiffening again.

When they released, he was greeted by a beaming Shiho. "That helped a lot more than I thought. Your hugs remind me of Ann's recent hugs… Or maybe she learned how to hug from you?"

"Maybe."

"Thank you for today. I'll see you."

Shiho left, leaving Akira alone on the roof. He was about to follow when a sudden black blur jumped down in front of him.

"Finally!"

"Morgana…were you watching us!?"

The panic was clear in the cat's eyes. "Not on purpose! I had to let you know about something but then you ended up taking forever and I had a nice nap and when I woke up you were still talking!"

Akira sighed, taking off his glasses to rub his eyes. "What's up?"

"Okay, I think I found out the person who spread those rumours about Shiho."

"Not the two guys?"

"No, they actually have nothing to do with the rumours."

Akira was now intrigued. "Then who?"

"Some girl. Apparently, she went to the same middle school as Shiho."

"She must have one heck of a grudge…"

"It might go beyond a grudge. You should look into it."

"What's her name?"

"Chouko."

* * *

 

_Extra: Will_

Shiho started to slow down by her house and when she arrived, she stopped and put her hands on her knees, catching her breath.

"I still have a way to go before I recover my stamina…" She looked up to see a water bottle extended towards her. She graciously accepted it and began downing it at once. When she finished half of it, she closed it and smiled. "Thank you."

"Don't push yourself too hard," Akira said, downing his own bottle himself. He was a lot more fit than she expected at first, before realizing this was Akira she was jogging with.

She decided to sit down at the fence surrounding her house. "Thank you for joining me. Sometimes it gets lonely jogging by yourself early in the morning."

"How long have you been doing this?"

"Probably right before the semester started, so not very long. As you can see, I'm still not at my prime."

"You'll get it back. I'll ask Ryuji for some tips as well."

"That would be great." Shiho unzipped the top part of her tracksuit just below her neck, letting the breeze hit her skin. "Did you ever run before?"

He nodded, rolling his neck before he elaborated. "Ryuji and I would run laps. He was really demanding."

"I can only imagine." Imagining Akira, of all people, getting orders from Sakamoto was difficult. But then again, there was a time when Sakamoto was reliable. Maybe Akira helped bring that back in him. "I had an enjoyable time. Would you mind joining me again?"

"Just say the word."

Shiho shot him a smile before closing her eyes to recover her stamina. After a few minutes, Akira spoke. "How do you feel about another lap?"

"Huh? Oh, sure." She was about to stand up, but Akira's hand was already extended to her. She stared at it for a second longer than she'd have liked before grabbing it. With ease, he managed to pull her up. She zipped up her tracksuit and began psyching herself up. "All right. Let's go!"

Halfway through the second lap, they took a small detour to a small café. They took a seat in the outdoor food court. "I'm sorry again."

"It's fine, don't worry about it. You can pay me back whenever."

Shiho nodded, but wasn't entirely satisfied. She had managed to forget her wallet at home, leaving Akira to pay for their drinks. "I think the last time I've been to a café was back in first year in Tokyo."

"Wow, that's a long time." Shiho could see how he thought that. She was sure living at a café for a year would make living without going to a café weird.

"I didn't really miss it, since it was so long ago. But I do like how quaint they can be."

"Café Leblanc." Shiho blinked. "That's the café I lived at in Tokyo. Not much customers, quiet, and became our hangout spot. I'd love to show it to you."

"Leblanc… I mean, yes, of course, I'd be delighted to!"

"Speaking of which, you've lived in Tokyo before. If there's any place you want to show me, I wouldn't mind."

Shiho began wracking her brain and spoke to try and stall. "Um, I don't think there's anywhere that I've been that you've haven't at this point. Oh, have you visited the shrines?"

"Just the Meiji Shrine."

"Then maybe I can take you to some other shrines. Though some are really far…"

"I'm sure you'll think of something."

"I hope so. It'd be nice to add my own touch to your experiences in Tokyo."


	6. Chapter 6

"Suzui-san..."

Akira head rose when he heard the name. He looked around, but no one familiar in sight.

"Um, I really can't."

That was definitely her voice. Akira maneuvered down an aisle, dodging shopping carts, before seeing Shiho and a boy standing next to shelves filled with various cookie packages.

"I know things are tough, but that's why you need someone to just listen."

"I-I know but that person…is not you." Akira smirked as the boy visibly winced. He began to walk towards them.

"But, if you took the time to get to know me, don't you think I could be? I just want to be your friend Suzui-san."

"You can do a lot better than me."

"God, you really are a bitch…"

Akira stopped in his tracks. Shiho's eyes widened and looked at the boy incredulously. "Excuse me?"

"Again, and again, I try to be nice. I try to extend my olive branch. I really just want to help but you keep rejecting me. What else am I supposed to think?"

"That's no reason to call someone a-"

"And? What are you gonna do about it?"

"Well, nothing." The boy had the most incredulous expression on his face. "Because I don't really care, but how are you going to make friends with that attitude?"

"Like you know how to make friends. I've got way more than you do."

"It's not a competition."

The boy gulped, clearly outmatched by Shiho's calm demeanor. He bowed, apologizing before running off. Akira decided to approach Shiho while she was still staring at his trail.

"That was entertaining."

Shiho glared at him. "You could have stepped in at any moment."

Akira nervously chuckled. "You had things under control. I was impressed."

"I was afraid he'd start a scene…I can't afford to be banned from this supermarket." Shiho released a sigh before looking back at the direction the boy ran off in. "Do you think that was his real feelings?"

Akira hummed. "It's hard to say. I think he decided to try another approach after your constant rejections. But there's a good chance those were his real feelings."

"He apologized at the end."

"Probably to make himself look better."

"I don't know why he's so interested…there's not much going for me." Shiho laughed at herself pitifully.

"I disagree."

"Of course you do."

Akira smiled before looking down at the bag Shiho was carrying. "What are you gathering this time?"

Shiho raised the bag to give Akira a better look. "Just regular groceries this time. Fruits, grain, you know."

"That's boring."

Shiho rolled her eyes and turned the attention over to Akira's own bags. "And you?"

Akira sheepishly rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. "Coffee beans."

Shiho giggled. "Of course. By the way, I don't think I've had the opportunity to try out your famous blend."

"Famous?"

"I don't think Ann ever talks about you without mentioning coffee in some way."

"I'd be delighted to treat you."

"I look forward to it."

On their way to the cash register, Akira decided to pose the question he's been wondering about for a while. "By the way, Shiho. Do you happen to know a Chouko?"

"Chouko-san in our year? What about her?"

"You do know her."

"Mhm. We went to the same middle school and were on the same volleyball team. She was really good. The second-best player too. They called her 'the butterfly' because of how it looked like she would hover right before landing her fist on the ball and deliver a mean spike."

"Second-best to you, huh?"

"Well, according to the coach anyway…wait, are you asking me this because you think-" Akira nodded and Shiho looked down, her fists clenching on her grocery bag. "But why? We were friends. She even tried to reconnect when I transferred back. Maybe it was unintentional? Like those two guys."

Akira didn't say anything, letting his silence do the talking.

"Maybe I should just let it go? Would there be any point in bringing it up now?"

"Like at Shūjin?"

Shiho's eyes widened. "No, you're right. I'll talk to her. Nothing might not come out of it, but it's worth a shot. I'll be relying on you to support me. Every player needs their cheerleader."

Akira let out a hearty laugh. "I'm just a cheerleader now?"

Shiho shook her head, her hair that was growing back swaying slightly. "Not _just_ a cheerleader. They're super important. Their confidence in you can give you strength in the most trying of times. I know that."

"Then I'll be the best cheerleader you've ever had."

"I don't know how Ann would feel about that."


	7. Chapter 7

**Shiho: I talked with Chouko-san.**

**Shiho: She agreed to meet me on the roof.**

**Shiho: She wanted to talk alone.**

**Akira: I'll send Morgana.**

**Shiho: No, I want you to come.**

**Akira: Uh?**

**Shiho: When we talked, she seemed agitated. I couldn't tell if she was angry…or guilty.**

**Shiho: I don't want anyone to get hurt.**

**Akira: I'll be there.**

**Shiho: Thank you.**

* * *

Akira was already on the roof, this time making it a point to get there early. That way, at least it could look like he was just there by coincidence.

Although Shiho would probably tell her anyway.

When the door behind him opened, he turned around. The first person to show up was surprisingly not Shiho, but Chouko instead. She stopped in her tracks when she saw him, before scowling.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing."

"…Hey, you're Shiho-san's friend, right?"

"Yeah." Akira raised a brow, never expecting this Chouko to converse with him.

"Is she…doing all right?"

"You're concerned?"

"Of course I am! I never…I mean, I did, but I didn't."

"You'll have to be more specific."

"I'm not telling you anything."

"Sorry I'm late." The two turned to the door where Shiho was standing, and huddled against her chest were three soft drinks. "Um, Chouko-san, you liked 1UP, right?"

"Y-yeah…" Hesitantly, Chouko plucked the 1UP can from Shiho's arms.

"Akira, I think Ann said you liked Starvicks?"

Akira nodded, graciously accepting the drink before moving away to the side. After Chouko's outburst earlier, he had a feeling he wouldn't be needed. Sometimes he forgot how different country folk were from city folk.

"Chouko-san…did you really reveal my history with Shūjin Academy?"

Chouko squirmed on the bench. "…Not everything. Just that you tried to, y'know."

"Why?"

"I hated you." Chouko paused, expecting Shiho to recoil, but Shiho didn't even budge. Akira smiled, satisfied and a bit proud. "We were the best. But then you got into Shūjin…and I didn't. You had the opportunity to go to nationals, become the best volleyball player ever. But then you threw it away! I still don't know why you did what you did, but with the Phantom Thieves thing from last year and your school, I can take a guess. But when you came here, I thought it was fate bringing us back together. But then…then you…!"

"Shunned you." Shiho winced, but keeping her gaze on Chouko. "I…wasn't myself. I still don't know if I am myself."

"Still. That doesn't mean I should have done what I did. The moment I heard the first whisper, I wanted to kill myself." Shiho couldn't hide her shock this time around. "You came here to quietly finish high school, right? Why did I ruin that for you?"

"Chouko-san…"

"But then you just…stopped caring. Honestly, I wondered if you cracked. I definitely wouldn't have forgiven myself if something happened to you again."

"It's not that I stopped caring… I've been working towards putting that part of my past behind me. Slowly, but it's been working. I won't deny that it's made making new friends impossible, but it's not like I was trying to begin with."

"I'm so, so sorry Shiho…"

"Chouko…"

Chouko suddenly stood up. "We don't have a volleyball team here. But I'll make one for the students next year. When I do, how about you be the student coach?"

"H-huh?" The mood whiplash struck Shiho and Akira.

"Obviously we'd have graduated by then, but it wouldn't hurt to get started for the future students, right? And if you work with me, we can dispel those rumours. What do you say, Shiho-san?"

Shiho sat in stunned silence, thinking long and hard. Until she also stood up to face Chouko. "I can't. I'm still patching things up with myself. And…I kind of want to move away from volleyball. By putting all my efforts on volleyball, I missed out on a lot of things in life. Like how my friend was doing. I could only see volleyball. So… uh, did that make sense?" Shiho winced. "What I mean to say is…no."

Chouko huffed. "Blunt as always, girl. But… I think I understand. After all, my obsession with volleyball caused all this. That's why I want to redeem myself _and_ volleyball."

"I know you'll do it, butterfly of the courts."

"Pfft, that's…" Chouko blushed. "Leave me alone, volley-bell."

With haste, Chouko left the rooftop, and Akira and Shiho were by themselves.

Akira turned to Shiho. "Volley…bell?"

"Don't worry about it."

"Don't make me ask Ann."

"Don't. Worry. About. It."

"All right, I'll ask Ann."

"Akira."

"But seriously, I'm impressed of how well you handled that."

"I don't think I did anything that special. Didn't you forgive Mishima-kun too?"

"Except you came here to escape your past."

"Which was my mistake." Shiho walked closer to him and started to speak in a lower tone. "I ran away. I see that clearly, now that I've experienced moving on with you. Before you came, I just let the days pass without putting in any effort to change. Just get through high school, I thought. My mom thought. But I never would have been all right if I did that."

"I was like that too."

"Huh?"

Shiho looked at Akira in surprise, and he gave her a warm smile. "My first few days in Tokyo: just get through the year and not get involved with anyone. But then I met Ryuji. I encountered a situation that made me realize I can't just ignore everything around me if I want things to get better."

"Except yours was on a much bigger scale than mine."

"It's not a competition," Akira smirked, and Shiho looked away, her smile returning to her lips.

"Thank you, Akira."


	8. Chapter 8

_"I hear Chouko-senpai's trying to form a new club…"_

_"But what's the point?"_

_"I don't know... but if it's Chouko-senpai, maybe we should join?"_

Akira was simply minding his own business on his way to school, listening to the rumours as he usually did. Somehow, it seemed like the rumours about Shiho were dispelling. Which he was glad for.

His thoughts were disrupted by a light shove to his back. He stumbled before turning to face the culprit. Shiho raised her hand, the one she pushed him with. "Good morning, Akira."

"Good morning." Shiho moved over to his side and walked with him.

"Can you believe how popular Chouko-san is? People are talking about her a lot. I guess I never paid attention to what goes on in the school before you arrived."

"I think it's more so that people get bored of one rumour and move on. Though the shift was really fast this time."

"No one's talking about your past and people are starting to stop talking about me. I'll have to thank her when I see her." Shiho turned to look at him, her smile brighter than he's ever seen. "That reminds me, Ann's going to be visiting this weekend! You'll join us, right?"

"I don't want to intrude…"

"You're our friend too. Ann insisted."

"If you're all right with it. Then I'll be happy to join you guys."

"Great! So, I'll need to ask you some questions later."

"Questions?"

"Mhm. Can we meet up after school?"

"Where?"

Shiho put a finger to her chin, tapping it repeatedly. "How about…"

Akira kicked off his shoes while Shiho neatly took them off. "Pardon the intrusion..."

"No one's home," Akira shrugged off his bag, letting it hit the ground. He led Shiho over to the living room, where there was only one couch and a few cushions around a small table. The TV was, while a flat screen, quite small. Shiho took a seat on one of the cushions on the ground and Akira sat across from her.

"Still, now I feel kind of awkward," Shiho admitted with a nervous smile.

"Now you know how I felt," Akira said, taking off his glasses and placing them on the table.

"Really? I can't imagine it being that awkward for a boy to go over to a girl's house compared to a girl going to a boy's house."

"…I can't tell if you're serious or not. Ann sure didn't have any reservations marching into my room."

"Didn't you live in an attic?"

"It was still my room."

"I wish I could have seen it."

"Seriously, it was an attic of a coffee shop."

"But it was your room."

Akira opened his mouth before shutting it. He couldn't resist grinning. "All right, all right. What did you want to ask me?"

From her bag next to her, Shiho pulled out a small notepad. "Just a few questions, and you better give serious answer. I don't want to hear anything half-assed like 'I don't have a preference.'"

Akira leaned back. "An interrogation?"

Shiho's eyes widened. "No, no! Just friendly questions. I didn't mean-"

He raised his hand to stop her. "I was joking. But I am kind of curious how much Ann has told you about last year."

Shiho wasn't over the joke however. "I know you've been through a lot. Being falsely accused and even getting sent to juvie… I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories."

"It's all right, Shiho. I've moved on. It's just the way you asserted yourself was very... cute."

"Uh…" Shiho blankly stared at Akira before coughing into her fist. "Then, if you don't mind… First question! What's your favourite colour?"

"…What?"

"I'm serious!"

"That's the confusing part…"

After about an hour of trading questions, as Akira would ask her the same question immediately after he answered, Shiho put the notebook back into her bag.

"Are you going to tell me what that was about?"

Shiho nodded. "You've helped me out a lot but it feels like a one-way street. So, I'm glad I got to take the time to get to know you. It's really heartwarming to know how much you care about your friends. Maybe if I met you sooner we could have been close too."

"We're already close."

Shiho gave him a tiny smile. "...I'm glad. But wow… to think someone as skinny as you completed the Big Bang Burger challenge."

"Don't underestimate starving teenagers."

* * *

 

_Extra: Knowledge_

"Hey Ann!"

"Hey! What's up Shiho? How's life?"

"I'm doing fine. I just wanted to ask you some questions."

"Uh-oh, I don't like the sound of this…"

Shiho giggled. "Don't worry. These should be easy questions for you. No arithmetic involved."

"Phew…I mean, hey!"

"Anyway, I've been preparing for our upcoming meetup and I was wondering if you knew what Akira's favourite food is?"

"Oh, that's easy! He doesn't have a favourite!"

"Huh?"

"I remember, when we went to the Wilton Buffet he brought back a toooon of different foods. Oh, it looked so good… I wish I wasn't full at the time."

"But, what about when you guys hang out?"

"When we hang out at the diner, we just order whatever. Steak, tea, doesn't matter."

"What about when he hangs out with others?"

"Oh, I know he loves ramen! Ryuji and him went quite a bit. It was frustrating honestly. You'd think Ryuji was hogging him all to himself!"

Shiho was starting to come to a sudden realization. "Anywhere else?"

"He loves sushi! Morgana mentioned how much Akira loves sushi! Boss and Futaba too! Oh, and we can't forget coffee and curry! That was his breakfast for an entire year! Although, I can't imagine that was the best diet… Oh! He also loves crepes. He'd stuff himself when I wasn't able to because of my diet."

Ignoring that Ann apparently talked with Akira's cat, Shiho bit her lip, new questions forming in her mind. "Okay, what movies does he like?"

"I don't know, all of them?"

"All?"

"He went to see a chick flick with me and even enjoyed it. I think I remember him saying he was going to see a French movie with Yusuke once. Let's see… He went to see superhero movies… and a yakuza movie with Makoto. And knowing Makoto, they probably even watched a Buchimaru movie, hehe."

"Ann, all I'm getting from this is that he always ate or watched things you guys liked."

"That's not true! Uh, Futaba and him played games a lot! Games he bought!"

"Did he leave them back in Tokyo?"

"…Maybe."

"Ann…"

There was a pause for a moment. Shiho was about to call out to her again before Ann suddenly shouting. "Oh my god, Shiho. Oh my god. How have we not learned a single thing about him!? He was always so nice and helpful…"

"What about his favourite colour?"

"Uh, black? Probably?"

Shiho sighed. "Do you at least know what sweets he likes? You, of all people, have to know that much."

"…"

"Never change, Ann. Never change."


	9. Chapter 9

"Surprise!" The door swung open before Akira even had the opportunity to press the doorbell. In front of him was a pale blonde wearing a short shirt that stopped above her midriff and denim shorts. In seconds he was subjected to a bone-crushing hug, which he quickly reciprocated. After five seconds, "Okay! Okay! You give tighter hugs! Lemme go!"

Akira laughed, releasing Ann from her torment. Even despite that, Ann was still smiling from ear-to-ear. "God, it feels like forever since Golden Week!" Ann exclaimed.

"Let him in, Ann." Ann glared behind her before stepping aside. Akira took off his shoes neatly and followed Ann to the living room, where on a table surrounded by cushions was a large assortment of food.

"Whoa…"

"Right!? Shiho made all of this herself! Look at that cake! Ohh…"

"That's a lot of whipped cream…"

"I just want to stuff my face in it…"

"And those cupcakes…"

"So adorable!"

"Are you two going to stare all day?" They turned around to see Shiho approach them, holding plates and utensils and was wearing an apron covered in a lot of different coloured splotches. Some dry and old, some clearly new.

"Of course not!" Right as Ann was about to grab a plate from Shiho, Akira's bag shook. A black blur jumped out of it and collided with Ann.

"Lady Ann!"

Ann reacted barely in time to catch Morgana and not fall on the floor. "Ah! Morgana!? Don't scare me like that! Jeez!"

"I've been taking good care of Akira and Shiho."

"Uh-huh. I'm sure they've been up to a lot of trouble. Thanks Morgana."

Shiho turned to Akira. "Is she talking to your cat?"

Ann looked up from Morgana. "Oh, right, you can't understand him."

Shiho's eyes widened. "You can understand cats, Ann!?"

"Not just me, Akira too." Ann gestured towards Akira.

Akira shrugged. "She's just crazy."

"Wha-Hey!"

* * *

"Wait, what!? Who spread the rumours!? Who!? I'll make them pay!"

"It's okay Ann, Akira helped me sort it out."

"Not really, I just watched. Shiho did everything on her own."

"Having you there was reassuring though."

"I feel like I'm getting a sense of déjà vu…"

* * *

 "Ann, are you sure you should be eating that much?"

"What are you trying to say!?"

"That you'll get fat."

"Shiho!"

"She's not wrong."

"Akira!"

"Don't worry, Lady Ann, no matter how much you grow, you'll always be beautiful in my eyes."

"Morgana!"

* * *

"There's no more cake!"

"Yeah, I barely had any thanks to you."

"…Ohh Shihooo! Mind if I have a slice?"

"You've had enough!"

"Just a liiiitle bit!"

"What's a 'little' bit to you?"

"Quiet Akira!"

* * *

 "Is Morgana allowed to eat sweets?"

"No."

"Why do you always have to stop me from enjoying the qualities of life, Akira!?"

"Relax Morgana, Akira doesn't want you to end up sick."

"And there's more for me."

"She really does speak cat…"

* * *

"Ann, you have some frosting on your face."

"You too, Shiho."

"But you have some… all over your face."

"You do resemble a snowman."

"Lady Ann, I'll happily clean you."

"Morgana, that's the creepiest thing you've ever said. Please never say it again."

"Wha- I didn't- I'm not a lowly perv like Ryuji!"

"I'll happily help, Ann."

"…Please don't. I don't think my heart can handle it."

"Why does he get a pass!?"

"Mm, frosting's so good…"

"Shiho!"

* * *

 "Oh, I'm stuffed…" Ann was laying down on her back, her hands running over her exposed stomach. "I want more… but I don't…"

"You really knocked it out of the park, Shiho." Akira said, placing his hands firmly on the mat behind him as he leaned back.

Shiho shot him a gracious smile. "Thank you. I worked really hard on this. Remember all those times I made cookies for you?"

"Oh, those were tests for today?"

Shiho nodded and Ann groaned even louder. "You got to test-taste Shiho's cookies? Luuuucky."

"Will she be able to get to the station on her own?" Akira asked, amused.

"I hope so. I've got to clean up before my mother comes back." Shiho stood up and Akira followed.

"I'll help."

Shiho put a hand over her heart and gave him a relieved smile. "Thank you. I wasn't sure if I'd manage by myself. Ann was right, you really are a glutton."

Akira could feel his face burn so he tried to laugh it off. "Ann, you better go before you miss the train. Morgana, take care of Ann."

"Leave it to me!"

Suddenly, both Akira and Shiho were enveloped in a hug from behind. "I'm gonna miss you guys."

Akira smiled. "We'll be visiting soon. Summer vacation is right around the corner."

"I can't wait. Everyone's already so excited."

"I'm excited too." Akira closed his eyes, imagining himself back in Tokyo with all his friends surrounding him. And this time, the girl next to him was there as well.

Akira and Shiho were washing the dishes, Akira humming a tune and Shiho smiling contently. "Today was so much fun."

Akira glanced at his dish-partner and nodded. "It was nice to see Ann again."

"Mhm. I missed her so much. Having her back and in the flesh again was a dream come true." Akira stopped what he was doing when he noticed a tear trail down her cheek. She had put away the plate she was washing. "I was so afraid that nothing would be the same again. That our past would haunt us until the day we die. But Ann… and you proved me wrong. I'm so, so grateful."

Akira put down his plate gently in the sink, before reaching over and pulling Shiho into a hug.

Shiho returned the action, pulling him even closer. His head was above hers. The smell of a bakery with her own unique touch filled his nose. He could get used to it.

They stayed like that for a while.

"You're like a teddy bear…"

"I'm your teddy bear."

Akira lowered his head and touched his lips to her crown.

Shiho barely reacted, only her grip around him tightening. He could feel her trembling, and began rubbing circles on her back until she calmed down.

After what seemed like hours, they split apart, Shiho's face burned crimson. "U-um…"

"What's wrong?" He couldn't stop his mischievous smile from forming.

"Don't ask me what's wrong after that…" Shiho took a deep breath and stared at him directly. "But thank you."

A short silence followed before Shiho cleared her throat. "Um, does that mean we… that is, you and I… um."

"If you want."

"I-I do want… I mean, yes… I mean… Can you be…a bit more nervous?"

"I am very nervous."

Shiho didn't look impressed, but her blush still apparent. "Just help me finish the dishes."

* * *

 

_Extra: Feeling_

Shiho and Akira were sitting on their knees, side-by-side at the table in the living room. Both of them still a mess after their party. Both of their heads were bowed while across from them was a stern, older woman.

"So, you're the 'reliable friend' Shiho's mentioned."

"I guess so." Shiho elbowed him. Now was not the time for his smart answers.

Her mother looked around the place then back at them. "You did a good job cleaning up. You seem rather domesticated."

Akira nodded. "Very."

Shiho was about to elbow him again, before she saw her mother smirk. Maybe his smart attitude would help after all.

"So, how long have you two been dating."

"About an hour."

The smirk was wiped off her face, and Shiho followed through with her elbow. "We've known each other for a long time though, mom."

"Does he know…?"

Shiho never told her mother about how the entire school now knows. She didn't want to move again. Especially not now. She nodded firmly. "He knows everything. Actually, he transferred from Shūjin."

"Shūjin!?" Her mother looked at Akira in shock. "Wait, is he the boy who you testified for?"

Shiho nodded. "He was falsely accused. If I could do anything to help him after all he's done so much for Ann and me…"

"Yes, I remember." Her mother leaned back. "Imagine my surprise when you suddenly wanted to testify in court for some random boy. I can understand why you wanted to leave after that."

Shiho turned to see Akira smile, his eyes distant. It wasn't like her mother assumed at all. Akira wanted to stay, but he had to come back. For closure. Shiho understood that too well.

"Do you think this is the best idea, Shiho?" Shiho turned back to her mother.

The thoughts swimming through her head when Akira hugged her in the kitchen were chaotic. There were so many 'what ifs' that it was driving her mad. But the one thought, the one thought of being able to stay by his side, pushed through.

"Yes, I really do. He's helped me a lot, and I'm sure you've noticed."

Her mother smiled, closing her eyes. Shiho knew she was reminiscing. "You've been much more determined lately, and I had my suspicions it was this 'reliable friend'. I never knew it was a boy though. The same boy who you testified for."

She opened her eyes and looked at Akira with fondness. Shiho felt her heart beat faster. "If you were able to recognize Shiho's suffering when not even her own mother could, then who am I to stop you two?"

"Mom…" Shiho reached over the table, leaving her hand out. Her mother was shocked, and hesitantly took it. Shiho squeezed her hand.

It was the first time in over a year they touched each other.

"Only one person is at fault, and he's behind bars. Right?" Akira looked towards her and Shiho nodded.

"It's over, mom. Everything is over. It's time to move on."

Her mother was crying, and Shiho wasn't sure if she realized it. "I'm sorry. I know I've been overprotective, I know I've been giving you lots of space, I know you've been lonely… I should have just been there for you."

"It's okay mom, it's okay."

Her mom turned back towards Akira. "If you do anything to her-"

"Mom!"

She laughed. As in, laughed. Shiho couldn't remember the last time her mother laughed. "I have to give him something to be afraid of. I've cried in front of my daughter's first boyfriend… how embarrassing!"

"Even if we were to break up, I still think he'll be there for me as a friend. I trust him, mom."

"I do too."

"Me too."

Shiho and her mother both glared at him playfully, and under the table Shiho snuck her free hand into his.


	10. Chapter 10

Akira and Shiho walked along the sidewalk together. Akira's hands were in his pockets while Shiho held a paper in her hand.

"Chouko-san's working really hard to making the volleyball team a reality here." Akira looked over Shiho's shoulder to get a look at the paper. It was a poster with a picture of Shiho jumping in the air, ready to spike the ball. The picture of her had her short hair fluttering and her expression was full of determination. "It's kind of embarrassing to be used in a promotion for the team. But I don't hate it. I think it's a good photo."

"Mind if I have a copy?"

"I'll send it to you later." Shiho giggled. She looked at the picture again, before reaching up and touching her hair. It had grown to reach her shoulders. "I kind of miss my ponytail."

"Why'd you cut it?"

"Just me thinking I could escape my past. I'll definitely grow it back. Hey, which do you prefer?"

Akira gently reached up and softly touched her hair. "Longer."

"Wow, you actually do have a preference. I thought you'd be more cautious of your answer."

Akira snorted. "Ann and Ryuji gave me crap the last time I was."

"I can only imagine." Shiho chuckled and rolled the poster and stuck it in her bag. It was sticking out like a sore thumb, but she didn't seem to care.

"In all seriousness, it really doesn't matter to me. But I think I've seen you more with short hair so I'm more used to that I guess."

"First answer's superficial, second answer's real." Shiho mumbled. Akira raised a brow, recognizing the tactic.

"Did Ann teach you that one?"

"If the conversation ever goes to preferences, then you should use that tactic. She said she read it in a magazine, so I don't know how true it is, haha…"

"That reminds me… how are we going to tell Ann?"

"Ooh! That's going to be so much fun!" Shiho clapped her hands together. "We definitely shouldn't just text her."

Akira nodded. "That'd be boring."

"Calling would mean we wouldn't get to see her dumb face."

"True."

"But… telling her in person would be kind of embarrassing. What would I say? 'I'm dating your other best friend'?"

Akira rubbed his chin. "That could work. Or… we could show them?"

"Show…? Oh!" Shiho's hands raced to her lips. "I… don't know if I'm ready for that."

Akira quickly pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her. "Nothing that serious. It could be us holding hands, hugging, or even a small…" Akira pecked her forehead. "… If you're comfortable with that."

"Yes. That would work." Shiho nodded against him. "I think that would get the strongest reaction out of her."

"We should record it too."

"She'll kill us."

"You don't disagree."

"Of course not." The two laughed, and Shiho pulled herself away from Akira. "I would like to get better though. I know kissing is the next step. I just… I'm still not done patching things up yet."

Akira gave her a warm smile. "It's okay. We have all the time in the world now."

"You're right. Things are really turning around for me. And that's thanks to you."

"If my cheerleading tactics helped, then I'm glad."

"I hope to be your cheerleader in the future."

"Now that's a nice image… Although I think you already are."

"I'll need to prove it. If you need anything at all, you know how to contact me. We're in this together now, as a team."

"A team."

Shiho wrapped her arms around Akira, pulling him into another hug which Akira immediately returned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short Rank 10. Nothing else to say, really. I got a bit random through the middle of the story and I don't know if I conveyed everything I wanted to, but it's done.
> 
> Persona 5 has some of the greatest confession lines ever. I loved how ridiculous but different they were so I wanted to make sure I did something similar here.
> 
> I've wanted to do something like this for so long. I am aware that there are some JokerxShiho story out there, but I never read them, except one. If there's any similarities, then it's pure coincidence.
> 
> Well, I hope you liked my self-indulgent story! This is my first story on ao3 and I think it's a decent one. For me at least.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you don't like chat logs, then feel free to skip them. They're bolded so it's easy to tell when they're done.

“Akira… Akira…” 

Akira’s eyes took a moment to adjust to the brightness. Slowly, he began to realize where he was.

_“Ladies and gentleman, thank you for riding with us today. We will be arriving in Shibuya shortly. This is the last stop for this line. Please transfer here for all subway lines. The doors to your left will open.”_

“Good, you’re awake. I was worried I was going to have to make a scene.” The voice was soft but clear in his ears. He raised his head, rolling his neck before turning to the person beside him. “Good morning.”

“Mornin’ pillow,” he responded while grinning.

Shiho rolled her eyes. “Maybe I should have made a scene…”

“By giving me a wake-up-kiss?”

“By pushing you off the seat.” Akira huffed and slid his hand into Shiho’s. Their fingers interlocked and Shiho’s grip on his hand tightened. He smiled but wasn’t met with her own smile. Instead, she was looking into his eyes rather intensely. He tilted his head and that seemed to snap her out of it. “Oh, sorry. I’m just not used to seeing you without glasses. To think they were fake this whole time…”

“Ugh, you two make me sick…” Akira shook his bag making the cat inside yelp.

He smiled at Shiho, closing his eyes before feeling a sudden sharp jolt against his forehead. His eyes opened and he rubbed his forehead, pouting at the glaring Shiho. “Ow…”

Her finger moved down and poked his chest lightly. “Don’t go back to sleep. It was your idea to leave for Tokyo so early in the morning.”

“And it was your idea to come with me when you could have come a week ago.” They were already a week into their summer vacation but Akira had to delay his trip. Shiho was willing to stay behind with him, which he was very grateful for.

When the train halted, the two began making their way to the next line that would take them to Yongen-Jaya, where all their friends were waiting.

Akira noticed Shiho’s fist tighten around her bag straps. “Nervous?”

“…A little. There’s going to be a lot of people. Let’s see… there’s Ann and Sakamoto-kun of course, and Kitagawa-kun, Niijima-senpai, Sakura-san and Sakura-chan, and Okumura-senpai. Am… I missing anyone?”

“Makoto’s sister might be there too,” Morgana helpfully supplied.

“Makoto’s sister might be there. I don’t think she’s as busy as she used to be as a prosecutor.” Shiho nodded, though not really understanding. She doesn’t know much about the Niijima’s and it was Akira’s place to tell her the details. “But for the most part, this is a PT reunion.”

“…Won’t I just be in the way?”

Akira shook his head. “You know, you’re practically the reason we even formed in the first place. Before you jumped, Ryuji and I were hesitant to go through with our plan. But you steeled our resolve and even brought Ann to us.”

It was a touchy subject, mentioning his girlfriend’s attempted suicide, but after everything that’s happened she’s become much more resilient. Mostly when talked about by Ann and Akira, who rarely bring it up as is.

“Oh… I’m glad I was able to help in some way.” Her face grew complex, clearly not sure how to feel about that.

“Hey, do you want to stop by the underground mall? Maybe buy something for Ann?” Shiho’s eyes lit up and Akira stopped himself from laughing. He hoped the rest of them wouldn’t be too impatient.

* * *

 

“Um, you should probably let go…” Akira glanced over to Shiho, who was looking down at their connected hands. The café was fast approaching.

Akira slowly released her hand, dragging his along hers until their fingertips touched, before dropping it. “It feels like I never left.”

“I’m not going to lie… but this area seems kind of shady.”

“It’s just dark and enclosed. Maybe a couple of drunks here and there. But usually no one too bad.”

“I guess you did live here for a year. I’ll take your word for it. But if one of these drunk people get near me…”

“I’ll sic Morgana on them.”

“What!?” The cat shouted, popping out of his bag and onto his shoulder.

“I was going to say hit them where it really hurts… but I suppose that works.”

“…”

“Wow, Shiho might be as bad as Haru…” Morgana muttered and Akira dumbly nodded, before grinning.

“Well, shall we?” The two were in front of the door. The moment they open it, their presence will be known thanks to the bell. Akira couldn’t wait any longer and pushed the door forward, Shiho following him closely.

There was a lack of a chime as he did so. Looking up, he noticed the bell that rang whenever someone closed the door was missing. _That’s a first…_

Looking across the café, he could see a familiar group sitting at a booth, a bunch of playing cards scattered across the table. Sitting at the counter were some more familiar faces chatting.

No one noticed them.

Akira sighed softly before walking quietly to one of the booths. He stood above the blonde male, looking down at the cards in his hand. Everyone at the booth were too focused on their cards to notice it seemed.

Looking back down at Ryuji’s cards, he was genuinely shocked at how _bad_ his hand was. He knew Ryuji’s luck when it came to card games was bad, but this bad?

…Oh wait, maybe if the next card that flips over is an 8 of clubs, and Ryuji swaps that 3 of diamonds...

There it is.

He leaned down, pointing at the 3 of diamonds. Ryuji’s head tilted. He pointed to the 8 on the table.

Ryuji shrugged and didn’t do anything.

Akira resisted slapping the back of his head.

Then, as if a lightbulb went off in his head, Ryuji shouted, “Ohhhhhh! Waitwaitwait, that’s mine!”

“What? Too late, you missed your chance, cheater. You’d never have noticed that without Akira,” the blonde across from Ryuji said, further amusing Akira.

“What!? I definitely would have! Ain’t that right, Akira?”

“Akira?” Makoto looked up from her own hand, and Akira was impressed that something managed to get Makoto’s attention with how engrossed she was.

“Akira!” Everyone at that moment stood up, cards flying everywhere as they all gathered around him.

“I tried to see where you were by tracking your phone, but you turned it off!” Futaba complained, stomping her feet in mock anger before turning to face the kitchen. “Sojiro, Akira’s here! And you didn’t put back up the bell!”

“My bad, my bad.” Appearing from the kitchen was Akira’s guardian of the year. “Good to see you, kid.”

Akira nodded, before looking back at the entrance. “I’m not alone though.”

“SHIHO!” Like a blur, Ann raced at him and practically jumped Shiho.

“Ah, Ann!” Shiho patted Ann on the back while her other hand was full.

“Heh, glad to see nothing’s changed.” Morgana jumped out of Akira’s bag and onto a table where everyone could see him.

“Uh, didn’t Ann like visit a week ago or something?” Ryuji mumbled.

“Mona-chan! How are you doing?” Haru had bent down to stroke Morgana’s back. “I bet it must be nice living in the country after being here so long.”

“Ugh, it’s been so _boring!_ I can’t wait until we can come back here. I never thought I’d miss the attic…”

“That bad, huh?” Ryuji chuckled.

“I don’t know… It looks quite beautiful from what Akira’s showed me. I would live the chance to see it in person.”

“Oh, it’s great, for like an hour.”

Akira shook his head and turned to Makoto who seemed to be patiently waiting for him. “It’s good to see you again.”

“It’s good to be back.” Akira shook when an arm was thrown around his shoulder.

“We got two months with our guy back, let’s not waste it, yeah?” Ryuji exclaimed before being met with a loud chorus of agreement.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Haru spoke, walking towards the two girls by the entrance, where Ann was still clinging to Shiho who tried to push her away. “We’re glad to have you with us, Suzui-san.”

Shiho gave up trying to push Ann away. “Please, just Shiho is fine. And thank you.” She looked over at Ann who now just had her arm wrapped around hers. A few tugs, but Shiho couldn’t pull her arm out. “When did your grip become so strong?”

Ryuji himself released Akira and also approached the two girls. “Long time no see, Suzui.”

“Sakamoto-kun… your hair is still blonde?”

Ryuji shrugged, giving her his usual friendly grin. “Eh, this is me now. You should give it a try, then you and Ann would be matching!”

“No!” Ann shouted, finally releasing Shiho to march forward. “Shiho’s not dying her hair!”

“Shiho with blonde hair…” Akira muttered, looking intensely at Shiho.

“Akira…” Ann warned.

“I can’t see it.” Akira shrugged, and Ann nodded firmly.

“Shiho’s perfect as is.”

“That’s true.”

The two nodded towards each other in mutual agreement while Shiho placed a hand on her head in exasperation, and also in embarrassment.

“Hey kid, if you’re just going to stand there come help me out in the back.”

“Sure thing, boss.” Akira rubbed his hands excitedly. This would be the first time in months that he gets to use Leblanc’s coffee beans again, and the first time he’d get to serve his girlfriend his own blend.

* * *

 

“Hey, Akira, can you stop taking boring pictures of scenery at your home and take some, I dunno, selfies or something?” Futaba asked, eating her share of curry at the counter.

“It’d be cool to actually see how you’re doin’, dude.” Ryuji said, his elbows on the counter.

“I can’t imagine taking selfies with the aspect that someone’s always watching…” Makoto said from one of the booths.

“You rarely take selfies as is, Makoto,” Ann pointed out, across from Makoto and pouting next to Shiho.

“And if my phone was bugged, I would certainly never take them.”

“Why not? You look good in everything, Mako-chan. You have nothing to be ashamed of,” Haru said, sipping her coffee elegant. “Perfect as usual, Akira.”

Sojiro scoffed. “I wouldn’t say _perfect_ , but definitely a huge improvement. You’ve been practicing, huh?”

“Can we _not_ have this discussion right now?” Makoto suddenly exclaimed from her booth, leaving Ann in a giggling fit and Shiho doing her best not to let loose a chuckle.

From the booth behind the girls, Yusuke spoke up. “I too am perplexed. You and Akira are the only ones who don’t take pictures often despite the beauty you two hold. It is a disappointment, putting it mildly.”

Akira began brewing another cup. He supposed it wouldn’t hurt to let them know. “If it makes you feel better, I’ve taken plenty of selfies.”

“Huh!? I would have been notified the moment your camera app gets activated!”

“…Futaba-chan, we need to have a talk about privacy.” Makoto glared at Futaba from the booth, making Futaba yelp and face away from her.

“Eep! Makoto’s in Queen mode!”

Ryuji sighed. “Nah, that’s just her being serious. Which is pro’lly worse.”

Haru looked at Akira curiously. “How do you take the selfies then, Akira? Did you get a new phone?”

“Nah, just had a partner in crime.” He flashed a smirk, finishing brewing the final cup. “Pass this over to Shiho, if you would.”

“Oh right, you two hang out often, huh?” Ryuji said, about to take the cup before Futaba smacked his hand.

“You’d drop it.”

“What!? Would not!”

“Would too.”

Haru stood and took the cup before anyone could say anything and went over to the girl’s booth. Makoto moved over so Haru could sit after she handed Shiho the cup. “I think you’ll enjoy it. Akira’s blend is truly something.”

“So I’ve heard.” Akira watched on from afar as Shiho quickly raised the cup to her lips. To the others, except maybe Ann, it would seem like she was eager, but Akira caught her blush. He leaned back, satisfied before returning his attention to Futaba and Ryuji.

“You two can stop anytime now.”

The two indeed stopped, and Ryuji turned himself to face the booths. “So what pictures do ya got in there, Suzui?”

Akira looked on in amusement as Shiho didn’t seem to hear him, completely occupied drinking the coffee. It was almost like she was savouring every drop.

“Uh, Suzui? Earth to Suzui? Ann, get your girlfriend’s attention for me.” However, even Ann didn’t hear Ryuji, staring intently at Shiho. The café went silent as no one was sure what was going on.

When Shiho placed her cup down, the sound of glass touching the table echoed. “That was really good. I’d like to try… Um, Ann, everyone? Are you… all right?”

Ann snapped out of it, still dumbfounded. “Y-yeah, perfectly fine. I’ve just never seen you like that before…”

“Huh?”

“That was breathtaking…” Ann and Shiho turned to see Yusuke who was on the seat on his knees, a sketchbook in his hand. “A photograph alone could not capture the elegance, grace, comfort, relax essence that you emitted Suzui-san.”

“O-oh… Okay… Um, as I was saying, I would like to try Sakura-san’s blend. To compare.”

Sojiro, who was in the kitchen until now, surprised Akira when he placed a hand on his shoulder. “You want to taste the true veteran’s brew, huh? Smart girl. Also, Boss is just fine.” Akira scratched the back of his head. _Welp. At least I got her impressed for a whole minute._

“You drink coffee so proper-like… I’m kind of envious,” Makoto said, smiling at Shiho.

“I think you’re exaggerating…”

“No way! All we need to do is give you a dress and you’d fit right in with the higher class!” Futaba exclaimed.

“I feel like anyone could wear an expensive dress and fit in,” Ryuji mumbled.

Akira took a good look at Shiho and began to imagine her in a dress. Red? Blue? No, probably green. Probably strapless too. And her upper back would be exposed. Or is that too much for her? She might prefer a more modest dress. So maybe not strapless. And the dress would reach her knees. Maybe even farther? But her legs were beautiful it’d be a shame to hide them.

“What are you thinking about?” Futaba asked him and he immediately grinned to push down the oncoming blush.

“Shiho in a dress, of course.”

“W-what!?” Shiho blurted out. Akira’s grin never wavered while Ann began looking at Shiho once again.

“Ooh, maybe red? No, blue… no, maybe green?” Akira was happy to hear Ann had similar thoughts as well. He could leave it to her to pick Shiho’s perfect dress, whenever she’ll need a dress at least.

“No, definitely black,” Haru declared and Akira began to see it. If Haru and Ann team up, the results would be glorious.

“Aren’t we getting sidetracked…? Isn’t this supposed to be your reunion?” She shot Ann a glare and then quickly sent it his way.

Thankfully, Sojiro interrupted at the perfect time, walking over to their table and setting down a cup of coffee in front of Shiho. “Here you are. Same beans as the rookie over there. Time for you to taste what real coffee is like. It’s on the house, of course.”

Akira knew it was over. He could smell the coffee from behind the counter. So, he turned his attention to the cat sitting on the same table Yusuke was sitting at. “Isn’t it nice to be back?”

“It sure is…” Morgana yawned. “But check out Yusuke’s sketch!”

Akira walked over to their booth and over at Yusuke who didn’t seem to notice him. Looking down at his sketchbook, was a beautiful sketch of Shiho holding her cup of coffee with both hands and Ann looking at her infatuated.

“Not bad, Yusuke.”

“…Thank you.”

That was the only reaction he got out of him as Yusuke continued sketching, occasionally turning his sketchbook. Akira switched his attention over to Morgana. “Do you want to check out the attic?”

Morgana’s head turned towards the stairs leading to the attic. “…I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to.”

“Me too.” Morgana hopped off the table and began running up the stairs. “We’ll be back in a second,” he told them before following Morgana.

When they reached the attic, the two looked at it, wide-eyed. Nothing had changed. It seemed Sojiro even dusted the room for today. “I thought Sojiro moved my stuff to his house,” Akira said, walking over to the shelf filled with various gifts.

“Maybe he moved them back because he knew you were a sucker for nostalgia?”

“Like you’re one to talk.”

“…Remember this desk?”

“Of course. I still remember when you would spend hours just making a single lockpick.”

“…Why do you have to remember that?” Akira looked above the desk, and sure enough his crane game prizes were still there.

“Oh, the plant’s still alive. Somehow.” Akira turned around, and sure enough the plant he had been caring for last year was still standing tall. “Looks like it was recently given some nutrients too.”

“Oh, that’s because of me.” From the stairs the rest of their friends began to pop in, except Yusuke. “I remember you told me about a plant you were caring for and I thought it’d be a shame if something were to happen to it with you gone, so I’ve taken the liberty to take care of it!”

“Thanks, Haru.” Akira really was surprised. Haru came out of her way just to take care of his plant? Well, and to probably get some tips from Sojiro as well. Still, it was really nice of her and he knew those nutrients weren’t cheap.

“Don’t mention it. It also gives me an excuse to stop by every so often.”

“It really is an attic…” Shiho muttered, walking around. “It’s much cleaner than I expected.”

“Right?” Ann exclaimed, walking over and crashing on the sofa. “It feels like forever since we gathered here.

“Tell me about it,” Ryuji said while stretching before glaring at Ann who was lying down on the sofa. “Don’t hog the whole sofa!”

“No need to yell, jeez.” Ann sat up but before Ryuji could sit, Makoto quickly stole the spot, with Morgana hopping in between the two.

“What the heck!?”

“Oh, Suzui-san, if you want to sit with Ann, I-”

“It’s all right, Niijima-senpai.” Shiho politely shook her head. She’d feel bad making Makoto get up now.

Morgana looked around the attic. “Weren’t there a lot more chairs before?”

“Oh, Sojiro got rid of them,” Futaba said nonchalantly, grabbing the only chair left and taking a seat. “They were old he said.”

“Really? Seemed fine to me,” Ryuji said, leaning against the wall next to Ann.

“At least the stool’s still here,” Haru said, pulling it out from under the desk.

“And my bed.” Akira took a seat on the bed, discreetly patting it so Shiho would take a seat next to him. Shiho eyed him suspiciously before sitting down.

“Man, why do I got to be the one standing…? Isn’t there a box or something somewhere?” Ryuji began looking around before giving up. He decided to sit on the table that Akira’s CRT was on, making Akira and Futaba shake their heads while Makoto touched her forehead with her finger.

Akira heard slight movement next to him and noticed Shiho had shuffled closer. They weren’t touching, but it was close enough. “That reminds me…” Everyone turned to Makoto. “You said Suzui-san’s phone has your pictures?”

Haru clapped her hands. “Oh that’s right! I’d love to see what you two were up to in the country!”

Akira knew they didn’t take any pictures incriminating their relationship so he nodded and Shiho unlocked her phone before holding it out for someone to grab.

Haru quickly took it and the rest of the group gathered around Haru. The rest of the afternoon was filled with a lot of “aww!”

* * *

 

It was late, and everyone had gone their way. Akira was currently at the station with Ann and Shiho to see them off. “It’s like a dream come true, having you two here with me.”

“I know. Your friends are as nice as you two said.”

“I couldn’t ask for better friends.”

“And you fit in perfectly, Shiho!” Ann exclaimed, hugging the girl affectionately. “It’s kind of surreal how well you two mix. You’re like best friends. Which is great for me, having my two best friends be each other’s best friends!”

Akira and Shiho shared a glance, their eyes talking. Shiho nodded, and Akira attempted to resist grinning. Attempted.

“I’d say we’re closer than best friends.”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

In an instant, Akira pulled Shiho towards him, delivering a swift kiss to her forehead before spinning her around to face Ann again.

There was a moment of silence, with Ann’s mouth open. Not gaping wide, but open enough to look ridiculous.

“H-huh?” Ann had barely moved an inch and the couple could see her brain begin to fry. “WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTT!?!?!?”

And thanks to Ann, they had to explain to station security why, exactly, a teenaged girl was screaming at the top of her lungs.

* * *

 

**Akira: _WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTT!?!?!?_**

**Yusuke: ???**

**Haru: ???**

**Makoto: ???**

**Futaba: ???**

**Ryuji: Uh, you okay bro?**

**Ann: SHUT UP AKIRA**

**Makoto: That both explains it… and doesn’t.**

**Akira: Shiho recorded it**

**Ann: WHY**

**Ann: I was NOT ready for that**

**Ryuji: Ooh, how’d you break Ann?**

**Ann: Shut up, Ryuji.**

**Ann: Can I tell them?**

**Akira: I think it’d be more fun to show them.**

**Akira: But I don’t think anyone could beat your reaction.**

**Haru: What exactly happened?**

**Akira: Ann almost got us arrested.**

**Ann: It was your fault!**

**Futaba: Ooh, immediate denial!**

**Ann: It wasn’t my fault! Blame Akira and Shiho!**

**Akira: I’m going to be in Shinjuku tomorrow so don’t look for me.**

**Makoto: I assume you have some catching up to do with others.**

**Akira: You would be correct.**

**Akira: I’ll always put you guys as my number one priority though.**

**Ann: And he changes the subject…**

**Yusuke: Would you say your current emotional state is indescribable, Ann?**

**Ann: Actually, yes.**

**Yusuke: Would the drawing of you and Suzui-san make you feel better?**

**Ann: YES! Is it done??**

Akira closes their group chat and tosses his phone somewhere on the bed. It was strange, sleeping in the Sakura residence as opposed to the attic. But he would always welcome an actual bed.

“So, Lady Ann knows?”

“Yeah. We weren’t able to record a video, just audio. Didn’t want to ruin the moment. I’ll show you later.” Akira looked down at the foot of his bed. “You know you can hang out with anyone else now that we’re back?”

“Oh, I know. And since you’re going to Shinjuku tomorrow I’ll probably go see Lady Ann and Shiho. But it’d feel wrong leaving you to fend for yourself at night.”

Akira rolled his eyes, and began mentally planning the next two months. Most of that time will be with his group, but he’d like some alone time with Shiho in between.

* * *

 

“Are those Ann’s?” Was the first question Akira asked when he saw Shiho approach him. She was wearing an off-the-shoulder top paired with shorts.

Shiho nodded. “Ann made me wear them when I mentioned we were hanging out today. That, and she really wanted to see me in something different.”

“You look great,” Akira complimented. In return, Shiho grabbed his hand, interlocking their fingers and pecked his cheek. It took Akira a second to realize what just happened. “You’re awfully bold.”

“I was only concerned because I didn’t want Ann to get any ideas before we told her. It would have ruined the surprise.”

“Agreed.” Akira stared a little longer at Shiho, still kind of taken aback by her actions.

Shiho noticed and tilted her head. “Is something wrong?”

“No, everything’s great actually. I just didn’t expect you to be so comfortable doing that sort of thing in public.”

“It doesn’t really matter what people say. Besides, I… um, like your… you.” Akira watched with delight as the tip of Shiho’s ears reddened. “I mean, I like it when you do give me attention. It makes me feel… wanted. You and Ann make me feel wanted. In a good way.”

“I only want Suzui Shiho. The whole. I want her kind personality, her strong resolve, her humour, all of it.”

Her throat bobbed. “And… I want all of you, too.”

* * *

 

“Fireworks?”

Ann nodded her head enthusiastically. “Uh-huh! Remember when we went to see them in our first year? We should go see them this year!”

Shiho glanced towards him and he stuffed his hands in his pockets. “It’d be fun. Counting on the fact that it doesn’t rain again.”

“Oh… yeah.”

“Oh, I remember you telling me about that,” Shiho said, giving Ann a sympathetic smile. “I’m glad I wasn’t there.”

“Oh, we should get our yukatas ready! It’d be boring if I wore the same one again, right?”

“I don’t know, it was pretty cute.”

“Was it the same blue floral one?”

“The very one.”

“I liked that one, though.”

“I’m right here you know…” Ann’s hands were on her hips and her stance was wide. “Too bad, I’m changing it up this year! You should as well, Shiho.”

“Um… I’m afraid I don’t have the money for something like that.”

“Oh, don’t worry, you do.”

“I… do?”

Akira froze when Ann turned to face him directly, her smile sickly sweet. “…How much?”

“Don’t you think Shiho deserves the best there is?”

“…I might.”

“Something that makes spending a large amount of money feel like nothing?”

“Cut to the chase, Ann.”

“Akira, no, it’s all right-”

“Thirty-thousand yen! We’ll give you back the change.”

“Thirty-thousand!?” He and Shiho exclaimed together and Ann laughed.

“There’s no way a yukata can cost that much,” he said, but it seemed like his words fell on deaf ears.

“Well?” Ann held her hand out and stared at him expectantly.

“Ann, I doubt Akira even carries-Akira!?” Akira dug in his pocket and opened his wallet, slamming three bills into Ann’s hand. “Why do you have that much money on hand!?”

“I knew you still had some money left over,” Ann said with a wink before grabbing Shiho’s hand. “Don’t worry Akira, I’ll make sure Shiho looks _stunning._ ”

Akira sighed, his wallet significantly lighter. “I’m counting on you.” He was defeated, and Ann knew it well judging by her triumphant look. Though he could tell she was also really excited to dress Shiho up.

“I can’t wait! This will be enough for some really nice shoes and a purse to go along with it!” Ann was practically glowing. “I’ll call Haru and Makoto! I bet they’d love to help! Oh, and we need to get Futaba a yukata too! We can get Boss to give us the money for that…”

Shiho seemed to finally accept her fate, turning to Akira. “See you later.”

Akira nodded, and quickly the two were gone with Ann pulling Shiho across the street to the mall. Sighing, he pulled out his phone to see if there was anyone to hang out with.

* * *

 

**Ann: Everything’s a go!**

**Ryuji: What are you talking about?**

**Yusuke: Are you referring to the upcoming fireworks festival?**

**Ryuji: After what happened last year?**

**Makoto: The weather forecast is looking to be in our favor this time.**

**Futaba: It was so scary.**

**Futaba: It was just like when they made me try on a swimsuit…**

**Haru: I’m so excited!**

**Ryuji: Oh yeah, I think we saw Haru at the one last year. Fancy car and all.**

**Haru: Really? I didn’t see any of you.**

**Yusuke: Most likely because of how crowded it was.**

**Makoto: Speaking of, I propose we leave early to find a good viewing spot.**

**Ryuji: How early is early?**

**Makoto: 12?**

**Ryuji: That’s too early!**

**Ann: Quit complaining!**

**Makoto: You could always go with those girls you saw last year, Ryuji.**

**Ryuji: What the hell!? You still remember that!?**

**Makoto: That reminds me, how did your exams go this time?**

**Futaba: Makoto’s savage!**

**Akira: And I’ll be expecting the change.**

**Ann: Change?**

**Akira: Money.**

**Ann: Ohh**

**Makoto: Wait.**

**Makoto: Ann, you said he said we were free to keep the change!**

**Akira: Fun fact: I did not say that.**

**Haru: I’m deeply sorry, Akira. We may have had a little party afterwards.**

**Ryuji: Party?**

**Akira: Little?**

**Makoto: I feel really bad. I’ll pay you back, Akira.**

**Akira: Wait, how much was left?**

**Ann: Don’t worry about it!**

**Futaba: Wow, what a cover up…**

**Yusuke: I wish you could have invited me at the very least. I would have loved to assist helping Futaba and Suzui-san.**

**Ryuji: Wait, so are we actually going to the fireworks festival this year??**

**Ann: Did you not get anything from this conversation?**

**Ryuji: So, Akira and me are the only ones who don’t have yukatas.**

**Futaba: And Mona.**

**Ryuji: He doesn’t count!**

“What does he mean I don’t count!? Surely there’s a yukata out there for cats!” Akira and Futaba, sitting across from each other in Sojiro’s living room, laughed at Morgana.

**Haru: Aren’t there kimonos for cats?**

**Ann: I think so? Can’t say I’ve looked into that.**

**Haru: I’ll find something, Mona-chan!**

“Bless Haru.”

“That’s our cinnamon roll!” Akira, Futaba, and Morgana laughed together.

**Akira: Morgana’s grateful.**

**Makoto: So, it really is just Akira and Ryuji.**

**Haru: Then I think we know who can help them.**

**Ryuji: ???**

**Akira: ???**

**Yusuke: Allow me to lend my expertise. You two will represent the ideal Japanese man at the festival.**

**Yusuke: At least, Akira will.**

**Ryuji: Oh no, no no no. I didn’t agree to anything.**

**Akira: ^**

**Makoto: I’m really curious to see you two in yukatas.**

**Ann: Shiho will love it!**

“God damnit.” Morgana snickered while Akira stared at his phone with a completely blank expression. Meanwhile, Futaba looked between the two of them, confused.

“Someone’s whipped…” Morgana whispered.

“Shut it.”

**Akira: Will you be paying for it?**

**Ann: Of course not.**

**Haru: I’d be happy to pay!**

**Akira: Bless you, Haru.**

**Makoto: All right, we’ll leave this in your hands, Yusuke and Haru.**

**Ryuji: Dude, aren’t we going to fight this!?**

**Akira: It’s 5 against 2 bro.**

**Ryuji: Damn.**

**Yusuke: Tomorrow then. I will see you in Shibuya at the underground walkway.**

**Ryuji: Tomorrow!?**

“Looks like you got a long day tomorrow. You should probably get some sleep,” Morgana said, watching Akira tuck his phone into his pocket.

“I can’t decide what’s worse, all the girls or one Inari.” Futaba began to imagine Inari helping her out with her yukata and judging by her quick irritated expression, it didn’t end well. “Nope. Good luck, Akira.”

“Thanks…”

* * *

 

Stares were the norm for Akira. Everyone was always watching his every move. That was why becoming a Phantom Thief, eluding the gaze of others, was so exhilarating. But right now, these were stares unlike any before. These were stares filled with curiosity and desire.

“Dude, I think some girls are checking us out!” Akira felt Ryuji nudging him with his elbow.

“We’re already late, come on.”

“I’m walking as fast as I can!”

“And you call yourself a track star.”

“Not my fault these sandals are such a pain!”

“You’re acting like a child… unbefitting of the yukata you don.” Akira chuckled before a shiver ran down his spine. He looked to the side, and Ryuji was surprisingly right; there were girls checking them out. And not because they look ridiculous.

Now Akira understood why Yusuke rejected those girls a year prior.

“Ah, there are the girls.”

Akira saw them, and before he could properly evaluate each of them, they rushed over to him and Ryuji.

“Wow, they really do look good. Even Ryuji,” Ann said, walking around the two and scanning them up and down.

“I said the same thing!” Morgana exclaimed, who had been walking next to them on the way since Akira wasn’t bringing any bags. He had to ask Sojiro to drop them, since no wallet or anything.

“Can you get out of my face?” Ryuji asked, annoyed. That only made Ann poke him in the side.

“You really went all out, Haru.” Makoto’s analysis felt extremely judgemental, so to hear praise filled both Akira and Ryuji with pride.

“I only paid, Yusuke’s the one who picked them out.”

“Huh, not bad Inari.” Akira took a good time to look at Futaba who was sporting a cute, bright yellow yukata with floral patterns. Chrysanthemum’s specifically. Actually, all the girls’ yukatas were floral-based, which wasn’t surprising for girls. And this was the first time he got to properly see Haru in a yukata from not just a glance.

But there was one exception to the floral patterns. Shiho Suzui stepped forward next to Makoto, taking the time to look over his yukata. She was wearing a white yukata similar to Makoto, except instead of flower patterns there were blue butterflies scattered about, with the rate red one popping out.

“I’m glad to see my money went to good use,” Akira smiled. Shiho, who was focused on his own yukata, startled before smiling, twisting her body slightly.

“I wasn’t so sure, but now I think I’m glad.”

As he was about to say more, he was pulled down, an arm reaching around his shoulder. “What did I tell you? Gorgeous, right?”

“Absolutely.” Ann and Akira stared dreamily at Shiho who wasn’t sure what to do.

It was Ryuji’s voice that brought them all back to reality. “Man, what the heck are we going to do for like, five hours?”

“Let’s see if we can find the closest spot to the fireworks. I doubt we’re the only ones here this early.” Leave it to Makoto for a plan.

“And then what? None of us have our wallets or phones or anything!”

“Mwehehe.” They turned to Futaba who pushed up her glasses with a grin. She reached into her sleeve and pulled out her phone. “I thought ahead.”

“…Wish I thought of that.” Ryuji sighed, slumping forward, defeated.

“No use complaining. Let’s go.” With Akira’s word they all nodded, even Ryuji.

* * *

 

“It’s good to see you again, Kurusu-kun.”

Akira nodded, shaking the hand of the older man, a habit the two had developed. “I was worried I wasn’t going to see you for the summer, Yoshida-san.”

Yoshida chuckled. “Yoshida for you, my boy. Or even Tora if you wish.”

“I had no idea you knew Toranosuke Yoshida, Akira…” Behind Akira was Makoto who seemed to be star struck. The rest of the group were sitting on several long benches lined up in a row with a clear view of the sky.

“You know, Yoshida, it’s not going to look good if a lot of teenagers are in the VIP section,” Akira pointed out.

“Oh? Did you forget already, Kurusu-kun? The message I’ve been trying to get across…”

“Youths are the future and adults need to pave the way for them.” Yoshida looked at Makoto with admiration.

“Precisely. And what better example than paving the way for youths to enjoy a fireworks festival!” Yoshida laughed jovially while Akira smiled wryly.

“One might consider it abuse of power.” That didn’t stop Yoshida’s laugh even though Akira knew he heard him. “Well, either way, we’re very grateful.”

“It’s the least I could do for you, my boy. Now you…” Yoshida turned his attention to Makoto. “I’m impressed someone as young as you know who I am. But it comes to no surprise as a friend of Kurusu-kun.”

“Oh, um, my goal is to become a police commissioner so I’ve been keeping my eye on politics and related fields. I’m actually a college student. Oh, right, my name is Niijima Makoto.” To finish off her frantic introduction, Makoto bowed deeply.

“Please, there is no need to bow. I’m not a king or anyone worthy.”

Akira stepped back, letting Makoto connect to someone who will, hopefully, be extremely relevant in politics soon. He sat down next to Shiho who was talking with Ann. Akira looked past them to see Yusuke and Haru talking and Ryuji, Futaba, and Morgana looking at stuff on Futaba’s phone.

Sighing contently, Akira leaned back, careful not to fall and looked up at the clear sky. It would be a while before the fireworks. Maybe he could take a quick nap… While sitting up.

* * *

 

Akira began to stir when there was a significant amount more noise. He expected to be waking up with annoying back pains but was pleasantly surprised to not feel any. He was greeted by the clear sky directly overhead, making him realize that he was lying down.

A face appeared above him. “Oh, you’re awake.”

“You really are a good pillow.” Akira sat up and stretched his arms. “What time is it?”

“Still early. You’ve only been asleep for an hour.” Shiho looked at him concerned. “You must be really tired. You’ve been busy the past week, hm?”

Akira covered his yawn. “Yeah. I think I spent too long last night trying to wear my yukata properly.”

“Couldn’t Sakura-san help you?”

“He was asleep.”

“Oh.” Shiho then yawned herself.

“Looks like you didn’t get enough sleep yourself.”

Shiho shook her head. “With me, I got up really early.”

“No kidding,” Ann interrupted from the other side of Shiho. She leaned forward so Akira could see her better. “She even woke me up…”

Akira looked beyond Ann to see the rest of his friends. Makoto had joined them and everyone was talking quietly among themselves, but he couldn’t help but notice a certain blonde was missing.

It didn’t take him long to find him, on the floor snoring away. He turned his attention to his girlfriend, now even more grateful to her than before. “If you need a nap, by all means. It’s the least I could do.”

Shiho looked down at his lap and nodded very slightly, shifting so she could lie down properly against him. Akira smiled down at her, which she returned before closing her eyes.

“Hey, don’t put your legs on me!” Shiho didn’t make a sound acknowledging Ann’s outburst and simply remained still. “I know you can hear me, Shiho!”

Akira looked back down at Shiho, whose mischievous smile faded away. Akira bent down slightly and was able to barely hear her soft breathing. “Huh, she’s actually asleep.”

“Leave it to her to exhaust all her energy,” Ann smiled, already forgetting her outburst. “You know it was my idea to put you on her lap. She suggested we should let you take the whole bench! No way was I going to let that slide!”

Akira chuckled. “Thanks, Ann.”

She grinned in response before looking back at Shiho. Her grin turned into an adoring smile. “I probably don’t need to tell you this… but it’s more for myself, but you’ll take it slow with her, right?”

“Of course.” Akira gently brushed some of Shiho’s hair away from her eyes. “You know we haven’t even had our first kiss yet.”

“Really? With how bold she’s been, I would’ve thought…”

“I think it’s because of you. How you’ve been doing what you want without caring what others think, you’ve really inspired her. Like I knew you would.”

“O-oh…” Ann blushed but was still looking at Shiho fondly. “I’m glad. I’ll keep my promise, she’ll keep hers, and you better keep yours.”

“She’ll be fine. You know that.”

“Yeah… yeah! I do know that.” Ann looked down at her lap, where the leg of her best friend laid. “Though I could do without this.”

Ann gently raised Shiho’s legs off her lap and placed them on the bench. “Call me back when she wakes up.”

Akira nodded and Ann went over to the bench next to them, squeezing in between Futaba and Haru and joining their conversations. He looked up at the clear sky once again, clouds starting to seep in but they didn’t look like rainclouds at the very least.

“Have I been too forward?” He looked down to see Shiho staring at him with wide brown eyes.

Akira reached down to grab her hand. In return, Shiho placed her other hand over it. “Nope, you’ve been perfect.”

“Hm.” He wasn’t sure if his answer satisfied her, but soon her eyes closed and once again she was breathing lightly.

* * *

Much later, Akira sat back down as Ann stretched her arms, yawning. “Had a good nap?”

Ann nodded. “You’re right, Shiho is a good pillow.”

Shiho’s index finger touched her forehead. “Am I just a pillow now?”

Akira wrapped an arm around Shiho’s waist and pulled her close. “You’re my pillow.”

Shiho was pulled away from him by Ann who had a teasing look in her eye. “No, she’s _my_ pillow.”

Shiho pulled her arm back and crossed her arms. “We are not doing this…”

Shiho was interrupted by a loud crack from the distance. They turned their attention ahead of them where sparkles filled the air. Soon, another firework. And more until the entire night sky was filled with them.

“So beautiful…” Akira was sure the others on the other bench were saying something similar but he couldn’t hear them. They finally were able to experience them with an even bigger group.

He felt a tug on his yukata’s sleeve and turned to meet Shiho, her face illuminated by many different colours. Her eyes were wide and sparkling, and just looking into them made his heart flutter. “…Are you sure?” He whispered, not even sure she heard him. But she nodded, moving closer and placing her hand on his chest above his heart.

“…Can you?” His only response was the most reassuring smile he could muster and leaned in to initiate their first kiss.

Her lips were soft and sweet. He resisted pushing his tongue out to taste them, leaning slightly forward so the side of their noses touched. He could feel her hand clench his yukata above his heart. He wasn’t sure if he leaned forward, or was pulled.

“ARE YOU FOR REAL!?!?!?”

It was a faint shout, overshadowed by the loud fireworks above, but it still reached the two’s ears. They broke away to see all their friends staring at them with incredulous expressions, save for Ann who was just stunned at the display and Yusuke at the back who was attempting to capture them in the frame of his fingers. Ryuji was especially gobsmacked, have been the source of the outburst. Ann turned to Ryuji who was sitting on the ground between their bench and the others’ bench, and smacked him on the back of his head.

Shiho turned back to him, her face a bright red. From the fireworks or otherwise, Akira could guess. “This… wasn’t exactly how I expected this to go.”

He glanced up at his friends who were _still_ staring, but looked back at Shiho. “This was _exactly_ how I expected it to go.” With that, his lips met hers once again.

* * *

 

Akria and Makoto thanked Yoshida once again before making their way back to their group of friends. Ryuji quickly approached Akira, slinging an arm around his shoulder. “Damn dude, that was freaking insane!”

“What a Casanova!” Futaba exclaimed.

“A bold move. As expected by an ex-master thief,” Morgana also chimed in, being carried by Haru.

“You two have been burned in my mind… I hope you do not mind if I gave life to this image?”

“Wouldn’t you have only seen the back of Suzui-san’s head…?” Makoto questioned.

“I don’t think I’ve seen Akira that red before…” Akira glared at Haru, only intensifying her giggles.

“Really? To me it looked like he knew exactly what he was doing,” Ann gave Akira a teasing look who just sighed. He expected this. He really did.

“What about you, Suzui-san?” Haru asked, and all their attention turned to Shiho who was still a bright red.

It took a moment for her to realize they were talking to her. “H-huh?”

Ann grew concerned. “Shiho, are you all right?”

Ryuji stepped forward, his grin from earlier still going strong. “Heh, no words? Was he that good?”

Shiho’s face brightened and Ann stomped her foot. “Don’t make fun of her!”

“I-I wasn’t!” Ryuji exclaimed, startled.

Akira took the opportunity to pull Shiho towards him. Placing a kiss on her forehead, he whispered, “We can stick with this for now.”

“No, it’s fine. I’m just… you… you’re a good kisser.”

Akira grinned. “Why thank you. You were pretty good yourself.”

“They’re being all lovey dovey,” Futaba said.

“You get used to it,” Morgana sighed and Ryuji and Futaba snickered.

“Don’t you guys feel bad for intruding on them?” Makoto asked, guilt clear across her face. Their friends didn’t feel the same way, shaking their heads.

“It’s all right, Makoto,” Akira said, getting her attention. “If we really wanted some quality time we’d go somewhere alone.”

“Yeah, this was a group outing. If they were gonna go making out while with us, well they knew what they were getting into,” Ryuji said, his grin back and hands behind his head.

“That’s… unfortunately true,” Shiho admitted.

“You didn’t deny the making out part!”

“We weren’t. It was just two kisses.”

“Two looong kisses.”

“You never had a good sense of time, Sakamoto-kun.”

“Oh, Sojiro’s here Akira!” Akira turned to Futaba who was looking at her phone. She slid it back into her sleeve. “I know you probably want to stay, but if you don’t come now you’re walking back to Yongen-Jaya.”

“No thanks.” Akira glanced down at his sandals before back at his friends. “See ya.”

“We’ll text you later,” Ann promised. He nodded and was about to follow Futaba before she suddenly pushed him back.

“Don’t forget to say goodbye to your girlfriend!”

Akira blinked and turned to Shiho, and back to Futaba. “You guys are going to make the most out of this, aren’t you?”

“You can say that again,” Ryuji exclaimed from behind him.

He heard Shiho yelp and Ann shout, “Don’t push her!”

Turning around he was once again face to face with Shiho. He just pulled her to his chest, the two wrapping their arms around each other, ignoring the extremely annoying _awws_ around them. “I think that’s good for now.”

Shiho nodded, reaching up to give him a peck on the cheek. Her smile was tiny and soft. “See you, teddy.”

They released each other and Akira ignored the stares from everyone around him, friends and passerby alike, and followed Futaba and Morgana to wherever Sojiro was waiting.

Even as he walked back, the sweet sensation of her lips never left.

_God I love her smile…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this lengthy chapter.
> 
> So, here’s a loong eleventh chapter. Now this is the final chapter… probably. I wanted a follow up story with reactions and it ended up this. I didn’t think it was good enough to be a standalone story and felt more epilogue.
> 
> Ann’s reaction was originally an extra for chapter 10, but then I decided to scrap it and put it here in the reunion chapter.
> 
> It ended up very Phantom Thieves oriented instead of Akira and Shiho, but that’s just how it is. I rather that than completely neglect the rest of the cast when they’re still important people in his life.
> 
> Speaking of, I tried to shorten the chat logs but when you have such a big cast they go on for a bit. I completely cut out one of the chat logs so now there’s just two and I made it so that you could skip them and basically not miss anything.
> 
> I know Joker/Shiho isn’t a popular pairing (I almost want to say it’s the rarest pairing in Persona 5) so I’m surprised how many people liked the story. Either I did a good job or there are a lot of silent Joker/Shiho fans out there (I know, I was one of them).
> 
> I have to say this: the scene where everyone watches them had a specific mental image. Ann would be the closest/largest face, just stunned they did that at all, then next would be Ryuji on the ground between the benches they’re sitting on, leaning slightly more forward with his jaw dropped. After would be the next bench with either Futaba, Makoto, or Haru in whatever order with Morgana on one of their laps, each leaning slightly more forward than Ryuji and each other, and last is Yusuke at the end leaning the most forward with his finger-framing.
> 
> I tried drawing it, but I quickly stopped because of how bad I am at drawing. Just as bad as I am at describing things. Huge weakness of mine that I’ve been trying to get better at.
> 
> I would like to know people’s overall thoughts but I understand if not. Again, just a fun chapter I wrote.


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